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THE POCKET GUIDE TO 
THE WEST INDIES 

BRITISH GUIANA, BRITISH HONDURAS, 

THE BERMUDAS, THE SPANISH MAIN, AND 

THE PANAMA CANAL 




BY 

ALGERNON E. ASPINALL 

Author of 
The British West Indies" "West Indian Tales of Old 
"West Indies and Guiana " 



CHICAGO NEW YORK 

RAND, McNALLY & COMPANY 



Ait- 

m 



First Published igoy 

New and Revised Edition igio 

Reprinted 1912 

New and Revised Edition 1914 



By transfer 

Department of State 
1919. 



Printed in Great Britain by 

BALLANTYNE & COMPANY LTD 

Tavistock Street' Covent Garden 

London 



A/./OfeVr 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. General Information i 

II. General Information (continued) 13 

III. General Information (concluded) 28 

IV. The Bermudas 55 
V. The Bahamas 74 

VI. Barbados 86 

VII. British Guiana and British Honduras 125 

VIII. Jamaica and Its Dependencies 156 

IX. Trinidad and Tobago 211 

X. The Windward Islands 245 

XI. The Leeward Islands 204 

XII. Guadeloupe and Its Dependencies, and 

Martinique 356 

XIII. St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, St. Martin, St. 

Eustatius, Saba, and Curacao 367 

XIV. Cuba and Porto Rico 380 
XV. Haiti and Santo Domingo 408 

XVI. The Spanish Main 415 

XVII. The Panama Canal, Colon, and Panama 427 

XLVIII. Some West Indian Industries 442 

XIX. Concluding Remarks • 458 

INDEX 461 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

The Memorable Battle of the Saints Frontispiece 
The Queen's Staircase, Nassau To face page 84 

Codrington College, Barbados ,, 106 

In the Botanic Gardens, British Guiana ,, 140 

(By F. V. McConnell) 

A Street in Georgetown, British Guiana „ 140 

(By I. N. Carvalho) 

All that remains of Kyk-over-al, British Guiana ,, 144 

(By F. V. McConnell) 

The Famous Shark Papers ,, 176 
The Entrance to Nelson's Quarters, Port Royal, 

Jamaica (By A. C. Kelway) ,, 182 

A Characteristic View in Jamaica ,, 184 

The Rodney Memorial, Spanish Town, Jamaica ,, 188 

Government House, Trinidad ,, 188 

Giant Bamboos, Trinidad ,, 226 

Guayaguayare Beach, Trinidad ,, 234 

(By Randolph Rust) 

The Pitch Lake at La Brea, Trinidad ,, 234 

The Promontory of St. George's, Grenada ,, 254 

Part of St. George's, Grenada ,, 254 

Fort Duvernette, St. Vincent (By J. C. Wilson) „ 288 

Laborie, St. Lucia ,, 288 

A Street in St. John's, Antigua ,, 300 

The Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua ,, 300 

Camelford's Anchor, English Harbour, Antigua ,, 306 

Brimstone Hill, St. Kitts ,, 300 

Roseau, Dominica, from the Sea ,, 344 

A Typical Valley in Dominica ,, 344 



LIST OF MAPS AND PLANS 



' 



MAPS 

The West Indies To face page 

-The Bermudas 

New Providence, the Bahamas 
-Barbados 
A Topographical Description and Admeasurement 

of the Yland of Barbados (An old Map, 1 673 ) 
British Guiana 
Jamaica 
Trinidad 

Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines 
y St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, Dominica, 

and Montserrat 
Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, and the 

Saintes 
Cuba and Porto Rico 
Haiti and Santo Domingo 
, The Panama Canal 



1 
7 6 



90 
128 

158 
212 
246 

296 

353 
382 
410 

428 



To face page 



PLANS 

Bridgetown, Barbados 
Georgetown, British Guiana 
Kingston, Jamaica 

A Plan of Port Royal before and after the Earth- 
quakes of 1692 and 1907 
Port of Spain, Trinidad To face page 

The Carenage, Grenada, in 1700 page 

Havana, Cuba To face page 

An old Plan of the Siege of Havana page 



98 
136 

168 

181 

222 

253 
386 
388 



TABLE 



Dollars and Sterling Table 



End of book 



vii 



This guide has been rewritten to a great extent, and several 
new features have been introduced which will, it is hoped, add 
to its usefulness. So many travellers now visit the Bermudas 
on their way to or from the West Indies that the inclusion 
of those islands outside the tropics should require no further 
justification. The compiler will welcome any suggestions 
for improving the book, and desires to thank the many 
kind friends who have so ungrudgingly assisted him, and 
especially Mr. Frank Cundall, Mr. N. Darnell Davis, C.M.G., 
Mr. F. H. Watkins, I.S.O., and Mr. W. R. Hunt. 



vii 



English Miles 







ISLANDS •^g^JtZZ V— ^ 

1 LnDwao^f £ 




|5 1 Longitude. West 70 from Greenwich, 



StanfcrriLs Geoa 1, Sstcih' 



THE POCKET GUIDE TO THE 
WEST INDIES 

CHAPTER I 
GENERAL INFORMATION 

The West Indies : Position and Names : Geology : 

Climate : Health : Food and Beverages : Meals : 

Expenses : Servants and Wages : Money : Banks : 

Roads and Motoring 

POSITION AND NAMES. The West Indies consist of a 
chain of islands varying in size from 44, 178 square miles, the 
area of Cuba, to small islets of only a few acres in extent, 
stretching in a curve from Florida to the northern coast of 
South America. Beginning at the north-west with the 
Bahamas, they end at the south-east with Trinidad off the 
coast of Venezuela. The origin of their name is traced to 
the fact that when they were first sighted by Columbus 
he believed that he had reached India by a western route, 
as it had long been his ambition to do. The name 
Antilles, which is also given to the islands, is said to be 
derived from Antilla, or Antiglia, a mythical land which 
was believed to exist in the west, and is placed on ancient 
charts about two hundred leagues to the westward of the 
Azores. Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and Porto Rico are known 
as the Greater Antilles, while the semicircle of smaller 
islands to the east is sometimes called the Lesser Antilles. 
The Spaniards used to style these Lesser Antilles, which 
are exposed to the prevailing north-easterly winds, the 
Windward Islands (Islas d$ harlovento), and the four 
large islands comprising the Greater 4ntiUes, the Leewar4 



2 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Islands (Jslas de sotavento), from their more sheltered 
position. Tourists should, however, disabuse their minds 
of this classification, which no longer holds good, the terms 
Windward and Leeward being now applied to two entirely 
different groups of British islands, to which reference is 
made below. 

The British West Indian Islands are divided into six 
separate colonies : (i) The Bahamas ; (2) Barbados ; 
(3) Jamaica, with Turks and Caicos Islands, and the 
Cayman Islands ; (4) Trinidad and Tobago ; (5) the 
Windward Islands, including Grenada, St. Lucia, St. 
Vincent, and the Grenadines ; and (6) the Leeward Islands, 
comprising Antigua, with Barbuda and Redonda, St. Kitts, 
Nevis and Anguilla, Montserrat, Dominica and the Virgin 
Islands. The colonies of British Guiana on the mainland 
of South America and British Honduras in Central America 
are also generally considered part of the British West 
Indies, owing to their proximity and to the many interests 
which they and the islands have in common. 

Of all the West Indian islands, Cuba, an independent 
republic, which has as a dependency the Isle of Pines, is 
by far the largest. Next to Cuba in size comes the island 
of Haiti, the old Espagnola or Hispaniola, which comprises 
Haiti at the western end and Santo Domingo at the eastern 
end, both of which are also republics. The other islands 
of importance beside those mentioned above are : Porto 
Rico (American), St. Thomas, Santa Cruz or St. Croix, 
and St. John (Danish), Guadeloupe (with its depen- 
dencies the Saintes, Marie Galante, Desirade or Deseada 
and St. Bartholomew), and Martinique (French), Curacao 
and its dependencies (Dutch), and St. Martin (owned 
jointly by the Dutch and French). 

GEOLOGY. Most of the West Indian islands have very 
distinct traces of volcanic origin, while the small coral 
animal has also done its work in providing a field for 
European colonisation. Many of the almost land-locked 
harbours are easily recognised as the craters of extinct 
volcanoes, and other signs of volcanic action are not 
wanting. 

It soon becomes abundantly clear to the visitor that the 



GENERAL INFORMATION 3 

islands are the peaks of a submerged range of mighty 
mountains. The range is known to geologists as the 
Caribbean Andes, which at the beginning of the Tertiary 
Period formed a connecting link between North and South 
America. It is claimed that this has been proved by the 
discovery in Georgia and Carolina of the fossilised remains of 
animals which still exist in South America, by the similarity 
of the tribal habits and customs of the Indians of Guiana to 
those of the North American Indians, and by traces found 
in Guadeloupe of the Megatherium, a prehistoric animal 
which could never have existed within the narrow limits of 
a comparatively small island. At this period the position 
of the present Isthmus of Panama was probably occupied 
by a group of islands, of which one at least — now repre- 
sented by Ancon Hill overlooking Panama City — was of 
volcanic origin. 

The subsidence which brought about the present physio- 
graphic condition of the Antilles was in all probability a 
gradual one. The distribution of the flora and fauna shows 
that the first result was the formation of a large island 
occupying the site of Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and Porto 
Rico. One of the facts adduced in proof of this is the 
distribution of a group of birds, which are called in Jamaica 
" Green todies." The genus consists of only four species, 
which are confined to the above four islands. The fact that 
the birds are not found elsewhere shows that at one time 
these islands were all one, and the additional fact that 
each of the four possesses its own separate species evolved 
from the common form, proves that separation took place 
later on. Soundings, taken in the locality, confirm this 
view. When the Isthmus of Panama was formed the 
land was much higher than it is at present. This is proved 
by the fact that the borings made by the Canal engineers 
have shown the existence of old channels of the Rio Grande 
and Chagres a few hundred feet below the sea level. 

There are petroleum and manjak deposits in Barbados 
and Trinidad, and the latter island has also a source of 
wealth in its famous asphalt or Pitch Lake. Gold and 
diamonds are found in British Guiana. Many of the 
islands have mineral springs, and sulphur deposits abound. 



4 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Before deciding to visit a part of the world with which 
he is unfamiliar, a tourist very properly asks what climate 
he will find there ; what the conditions of health are in 
the places to be visited ; what kind of food will be put 
before him ; and what his expenses are likely to be. An 
endeavour will accordingly be made to answer these very 
important questions before the writer proceeds to describe 
the chief characteristics of the different islands, British 
Guiana and British Honduras. 

CLIMATE. Taken as a whole, the climate of the West 
Indies is decidedly healthy. Indeed, in many parts it is 
extremely salubrious all the year round, and this may also 
be said of all the islands in the winter months. Climatic 
conditions vary of course very much according to locality, 
those places farther from the equator and those more 
exposed to the north-east trade- winds being naturally better 
off than others less favourably placed. The rainy season 
sets in as a rule about June, and lasts until the end of the 
year, with a break in about August or September, or later 
as in the case of British Guiana ; but the days when the 
sun does not shine at all are very rare, and it is almost 
always possible to predict when the rain is coming. The 
nights are transcendently beautiful, the moon shining with 
a brilliancy unknown at home, while that magnificent 
constellation known as the Southern Cross rears its stately 
form over the horizon. With the exception of Trinidad, 
Tobago, and Grenada, the islands are subject to occasional 
hurricanes in August, September, and October ; but, 
fortunately, such disturbances do not come without a 
warning fall in the barometer, and due notice of their 
probable approach is signalled from stations of the United 
States Weather Bureau, the ominous signal being two red 
flags with a black centre hoisted one above the other. 
There is an old negro adage concerning hurricanes which 

' June, too soon. 

July, stand by ! 
August, come it must. 
September, remember. 
October, all over. 

JJurricanes oi such violence as to cause serious damage to 



GENERAL INFORMATION 5 

buildings or loss of life are, happily, not frequent in any 
given place. Montserrat, for example, which suffered from 
a hurricane in 1899, had, it is said, previously enjoyed 
immunity for upwards of one hundred years. Volcanic 
eruptions are fortunately confined to the Montagne Pelee 
in Martinique and the Soufriere in St. Vincent, both of which 
had been quiescent for very many years prior to the trouble 
of 1902 and are now peacefully sleeping again ; and 
seismic movements are generally so slight as to be scarcely 
noticeable. During January, February, and March, the 
north-east trade-winds blow with great regularity, rendering 
these months particularly pleasant, and, speaking generally, 
year in and year out, the favourable features of the West 
Indian climate far outnumber the bad. 

HEALTH. There are well-qualified physicians in each 
of the West Indian islands and in British Guiana and British 
Honduras, besides an efficient medical service. Indeed, 
throughout the West Indies there is no lack of medical men ; 
but tourists who adopt the usual precautions as to diet 
and mode of living should not require to have recourse to 
their ministrations. It used to be said that the best way 
to ensure good health was to keep the pores of the skin 
open and the mouth shut ! Owing to the moisture in the 
air and the prevalence of the trade-winds for the greater 
part of the year, the heat of the sun is felt far less than 
it is at the same temperature in New York or London, 
and for this reason sunstroke is practically unknown in 
the West Indies ; but, all the same, visitors should on no 
account expose themselves to the direct rays of the noon- 
day sun. Exercise in moderation is very desirable. A 
thorough wetting by the rain should be guarded against, 
and chills at sundown avoided. Of late years, the sanitary 
arrangements in the West Indies have undergone sub- 
stantial improvement, with the result that outbreaks of 
serious fever are of extremely rare occurrence, and they 
seldom occur in the winter months. Malaria of a mild 
form is met with in most of the islands in the summer — 
Barbados being a notable exception — but new-comers are 
not as a rule susceptible to it until they have resided for 
at least ten or twelve months in the West Indies, and 



6 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

tourists therefore need feel no apprehension on this score. 
It has been proved beyond all doubt that the mosquito is 
the chief source of infection in various tropical fevers, the 
anopheles being the communicating agent of malaria and 
the stegomyia that of yellow fever. It is very important, 
therefore, that every traveller should take precautions 
against being bitten by these objectionable insects and 
should invariably sleep under a net in places where mos- 
quitoes exist. Rigid anti-mosquito regulations are now 
being enforced in all the islands of consequence and in 
British Guiana and British Honduras, with the result 
that mosquitoes are far less plentiful than they used to be. 
The West Indies are remarkably free from infectious 
diseases common in temperate climes, and also from those 
ailments which are commonly associated in the mind 
and body with an English winter. Many private houses 
and several hotels have swimming-baths, and in most 
residences there is a large bath in which it is almost possible 
to swim. There is generally a shower-bath also, and in 
British Guiana its use forms the most popular style of 
bathing. 

FOOD AND BEVERAGES. The question of what to 
eat and what to drink in the West Indies is one which 
deserves a few remarks. To a visitor fresh from temperate 
climes, both food and beverages present decided features 
of novelty. Beef and mutton find their places on the 
board, though, owing to the climate, they are as a rule 
tough, except in the larger islands in which supplies from 
the United States are obtainable. Chicken and guinea- 
fowl figure extensively on the menu, but otherwise a 
tropical table differs materially from one at home. This 
is chiefly the case with the fish and vegetables. Of the 
former there are the flying-fish — the dish par excellence 
of Barbados, and very good it is too — snapper, snook, 
mullet, and grouper, all of which are deservedly popular. 
The cascadura, a fresh-water fish which is eaten in Trinidad, 
is alleged to have properties not unlike those possessed by 
the fountain of Trevi at Rome. The visitor who throws 
a penny into the fountain is certain to return to Rome, 
and he who partakes of the cascadura can, it is said, never 



GENERAL INFORMATION 7 

live far from Trinidad. Conchs are a favourite article of 
diet in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. 
In the Bahamas they are so plentiful that the people born 
there are nicknamed " Conchs.' 1 Among the vegetables 
are yams — floury and soft to the palate — sweet potatoes, 
tannias, eddoes, ochros — the pods of which, cooked like 
asparagus, are excellent — plantains, delicious when fried, 
cassava, Indian corn, papaws, pigeon peas, to mention 
a few only, while a capital salad is made from the heart of 
the lofty cabbage palm (Oreodoxa oleracea). The Avocado 
pear (Per sea gratissima) merits a class to itself for excellence. 
With a squeeze of lime and some red pepper it makes 
delicious eating, and the consistency and colour of its 
contents have earned for it the name midshipman's or 
subaltern's butter. It is, however, at dessert that the 
greatest surprises are forthcoming. Bananas, both big 
(Gros Michel) and dwarf (Musa Cavendishii), are known 
at home, but the very small fig banana, or Lady's Finger, 
is not often seen out of the tropics, and, while all fruit of 
this description has a much better flavour in its native home 
than in England or America, the latter kind is for flavour 
the acme of perfection. Oranges while actually green are 
exquisite, and the West Indian tangerine variety is 
infinitely better than any ever seen at home. The grafted 
mangoes, for which Jamaica is especially famous, are 
exquisitely delicate in flavour, while a sound Antigua pine- 
apple is something to dream about. It is not long before 
the visitor makes the acquaintance of some of the following 
fruits, which are among the most popular in the West 
Indies : Custard, mammee and star apples, citrons, Bar- 
bados cherries, golden apples, granadillas (the fruit of 
the passion flower), guavas, limes, mangoes, melons, pome- 
granates, sapodillas, shaddocks, and sour sops. 

In Trinidad, Grenada, and Antigua, the small oysters 
which adhere to the roots of the mangrove trees form a 
novelty, and should be asked for ; while in British Guiana 
it would be rank heresy to ignore the famous " pepper-pot." 
The ingredients of this savoury dish are : Pork cut into small 
pieces and fried until brown, a partially roasted fowl also 
cut up, an onion, a dozen shallots, and a few dry chillies, 



8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

stirred well in a large earthenware pipkin, locally called a 
buck-pot. To this is added a sauce consisting of two 
tablespoonfuls of moist cane sugar, one and a half table- 
spoonfuls of salt, and a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper 
mixed well with hot water, with seven to ten tablespoonfuls 
of cassareep (the concentrated juice of the bitter cassava) 
added until the concoction is brown. This is boiled and 
allowed to simmer for one and a quarter hours, and then 
boiled up again next day for half an hour. On the third 
day the pepper-pot will be ready for table. The pot must 
be constantly replenished, and if heated up day after day 
it will last for many years, in fact, if carefully tended the 
older it is the better. The writer has been privileged to 
partake of a " pepper-pot " said to be over one hundred 
years old. The Lapp or Labba (Ccelogenys paca), a little 
creature resembling a glorified guinea-pig, and the Agouti 
(Dasyprocta agouti) furnish exquisite dishes in Trinidad, 
where crabs' backs are also a recognised luxury. 

In Dominica and the French islands the edible frog, 
known as the crapaud (Leptodactylus pentadactylus) or the 
slender-toed frog — so called because it is web-footed — is 
considered a great delicacy. It is served to unsuspecting 
visitors under the name of " mountain chicken." The 
iguana, a tree-lizard, also furnishes a palatable dish, while 
groo-groo worms, large maggots — as, for want of a more 
appropriate name, they must be called — found in the 
growing heart of the palm-tree, are also looked upon as a 
choice luxury. 

The taste in respect to beverages in the West Indies 
follows very closely that prevailing at home ; but a new- 
comer should guard against the tendency to increase the 
quantity consumed which must inevitably result from a 
rising thermometer. The water in the principal towns is, 
as a rule, quite drinkable ; but it is best to be on the safe 
side and to insist upon its being filtered. This is usually 
done by means of a " Barbados drip stone," a large block 
of coral rock hollowed into a convenient shape through 
which the water drips into a receptacle below. Light wines 
or whisky and soda in moderation are perhaps the safest 
" drinks " in the tropics ; while for abstainers, lemonade, 



GENERAL INFORMATION 9 

ginger-ale, kola, and similar concoctions can always be 
obtained ; and lime squashes will be found infinitely prefer- 
able to the familiar lemon squash. Among other beverages 
peculiar to the West Indies which should be asked for are 
pimento dram and falernum, while the old-time sangaree 
also has its devotees. The latter, which is very refreshing, 
consists of wine, water (perhaps), sugar, nutmeg, a slice 
of lime, and an abundance of crushed ice. It is a good 
rule to avoid all stimulants before the midday meal, though 
an appetiser before dinner, which may take the form of a 
cocktail or a "swizzle," is recommended. The swizzle is 
made from gin, whisky, brandy, or vermouth, which is 
mixed in a jug with bitters, grated ice, and a modicum of 
sugar, and frothed up with a swizzle-stick, the latter being 
the stem of a plant with radiating branches, apparently 
provided by nature for this special purpose, which is made 
to revolve backwards and forwards between the palms of 
the hands. A recipe which it would not be easy to beat is 
the old and familiar : 

One of sour (lime juice), 
Two of sweet (syrup), 
Three of strong (gin), and 
Four of weak (water). 

In Barbados the great appetiser is a swizzle known as 
" green bitters." The ingredients (which can be obtained 
in England from the West Indian Produce Association, 
14 Creechurch Lane, London) are one wineglassful of 
old rum, one of white falernum, half a wineglassful of water, 
wormwood bitters to taste, and plenty of crushed ice. The 
whole is frothed up with a swizzle-stick and is consumed 
while still frothing. 

MEALS. " Coffee " is the first meal of the day in the 
West Indies. It connotes a cup of the beverage from which 
its name is taken, or of tea or other liquid refreshment, what- 
ever be its nature, which is served with toast and butter 
at the early hour of 6 a.m. Breakfast is somewhat of a 
movable feast. It may be put on the table at any time 
between 10 and 12.30, according to the locality, and it will 
be found to partake more of the nature of luncheon at 
home. Tea follows at 4.30 or 5; and dinner at the usual 



io POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

time of 7 or 7.30. At first, the difference in the hour of 
meals in various islands is rather bewildering, but the 
visitor soon gets accustomed to the changed conditions. 

EXPENSES. The cost of a visit to the West Indies 
must, of course, depend very largely upon the tastes and the 
temperament of the individual. While at sea, there are, 
after the ticket has been paid for, no expenses except for 
wines, &c, and the inevitable tips. With regard to the 
latter, it may be mentioned that to ensure the best attend- 
ance it is a good plan to give the cabin steward and waiter 
their tips in two instalments, half at the beginning of the 
voyage (with a promise of further largess if satisfaction is 
given) and half at the end. For a voyage of twelve days 
it is usual to give the cabin steward £1 ($4.80), the waiter 
at table 10s. ($2.40), the bathroom steward 55. ($1.20), 
and the boots 2s. 6d. (60 cts.). On shore, 10 per cent, of 
the amount of the charge or bill will be found to be a good 
basis for calculating the amount of tips. 

At most of the hotels and lodgings in the West Indies, from 
8s. 4^. ($2) to 12s. 6d. ($3) per day is the charge for board 
and lodging. Added to this must be the expenses of various 
expeditions involving the use of buggies, horses, motor-cars 
(in the larger places), boats, and trains ; but the tourist 
will be on the safe side if he estimates his expenses on shore 
at from £1 ($4.80) to £1 10s. ($7.20) a day, without taking 
into consideration what he may spend on those delightful 
" curios " and souvenirs, the purchase of which for friends 
at home is one of the pleasures of travel. 

SERVANTS AND WAGES. Excellent black servants 
of every class can be obtained throughout the West Indies. 
They are faithful, and if treated well but firmly are ex- 
tremely willing and obliging. The scale of wages is 
approximately as follows : butlers, ^20 ( $96) per annum ; 
parlourmaids, ^12 105. ($60) to ^20 ($96) ; nurses, 
£15 ($72) to £20 ($96); cooks, £15 ($72) to ^20 ($96); 
and coachmen, ^20 ($96) to £25 ($120). 

MONEY. British silver is the currency in the British 
West Indies ; but British and American gold is negotiable. 
Gold doubloons — the old " Pieces of Eight " of the days 
of the Buccaneers — were finally withdrawn from circulation 



GENERAL INFORMATION n 

all over the British West Indies in June 1908. Public 
accounts are as a rule shown in sterling ; but as banking and 
private accounts are mainly kept in dollars and cents, and as 
much trading is conducted on this basis, a table for compar- 
ing the relative values of dollars and cents and £ s. d. is given 
at the end of the book. The notes of the local banks are 
very largely used, and those issued in one island can gener- 
ally be cashed in others at face value. It is, however, best 
to change them before leaving the island of issue. 

In Cuba there is no special currency, American and 
Spanish coinage being used. In Haiti the unit is the 
Gourde ; but both in that republic and in the neighbouring 
one of Santo Domingo American gold circulates freely. 
In the other islands the currency is that of the countries 
to which they belong. In Colombia the unit is the Peso, 
in Venezuela the Bolivar, and in Panama the Balboa, but 
in each of these countries American gold is freely accepted. 

BANKS. The Colonial Bank (capital, ^2,000,000 ; paid 
up, ^600,000 ; reserve funds, ^150,000. London address, 
16 Bishopsgate, E.C. ; New York address, 82 Wall Street) 
has branches in Antigua, Barbados, British Guiana (Berbice 
and Demerara), Dominica, Grenada (branch at St. George's 
and agents at Grenville), Jamaica (branches at Kingston 
and Port Antonio and agents at Falmouth, Montego Bay, 
Port Maria, and Savanna-la-Mar), St. Kitts, St. Lucia, 
St. Thomas, St. Vincent, and Trinidad (branches at Port of 
Spain and San Fernando). The bank issues letters of 
credit, drafts on demand and telegraphic transfers on 
the branches, receives for collection bills of exchange, and 
conducts general banking business connected with the West 
Indies. The Colonial Bank also affords banking facilities 
between the West Indies and Canada through its agents in 
the Dominion, the Bank of British North America. The 
Bank of Nova Scotia (capital, $10,000,000 ; reserve funds, 
$11,000,000 ; headquarters, Halifax, N.S.) has eight 
branch offices in Jamaica (Kingston, Port Antonio, Port 
Maria, St. Ann's Bay, Montego Bay, Savanna-la-Mar, 
Black River, and Mandeville), two in Cuba (Havana and 
Cienfucgos), and one in Porto Rico (San Juan) ; and the 
Royal Bank of Canada (capital, $25,000,000 ; reserves, 



12 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

$13,570,000 ; head office, Montreal, Canada ; London office. 
Princes Street, E.C.) has branches in the Bahamas, Bar- 
bados, British Guiana, British Honduras, Grenada, Jamaica, 
Trinidad, Cuba, and Porto Rico. In the Bahamas there 
is also the Bank of Nassau (capital, $100,000), which does 
a deposit and discount business, and in Bermuda the Bank 
of Bermuda, and M. T. Butterfield and Son's Ltd. Bank. 

ROADS AND MOTORING. Generally speaking the 
roads in the British West Indies are good. Fourteen 
years ago there was not a motor-car to be seen in the 
islands ; now they are popular, and in British Guiana, 
Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and elsewhere there are 
companies from which cars can be obtained on hire, repairs 
effected and supplies of petrol secured. There is an im- 
port duty on motor-cars which varies in the different 
colonies, but the duty is refunded when the cars leave 
the island again. The freight on motor-cars from the 
United Kingdom to the West Indies is approximately at 
the rate of £1 15s. per 40 cubic feet and 20 per cent, primage, 
and from the United States 10 cents per cubic foot with. 
a minimum charge of $25. Only visitors contemplating 
a long stay in Barbados, Jamaica, or Trinidad could, how- 
ever, be advised to have their motor-cars sent out, for in 
British Guiana, though the roads are good, the distances 
are short, and in the small islands the roads are either too 
indifferent or too hilly for comfort. Even in Jamaica the 
area suitable for motoring is restricted, owing to the un- 
bridged watercourses which have to be crossed, and prove 
fatal to the combustion arrangements. In Barbados the 
speed limit is fixed at twenty miles an hour in the country 
and eight miles in town, while in British Guiana, Jamaica, 
and Trinidad the driver is only compelled to drive with 
safety and to observe the usual police traffic regulations. 
In Bermuda motor-cars are entirely banned, and there are 
many who think this a great advantage. In Cuba and 
Porto Rico the roads are good and automobiles can readily 
be hired. 



CHAPTER II 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

{continued) 

Steamship Communication : Routes from the United Kingdom : 
Europe : Canada : The United States : South America 

Having made up his or her mind to visit the West Indies, 
the next matter for the consideration of the tourist is the 
route to be taken. The facilities for reaching the West Indies, 
whether from the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, the 
United States, or South America, are ample, and there are 
more or less frequent opportunities for getting from island to 
island by steamer, sloop, or schooner. Unless compelled to 
do so by the stress of circumstances, tourists will do well to 
avoid the two latter means of communication, which are un- 
certain, and often involve considerable discomfort. As a 
general rule, the only sleeping accommodation on such 
vessels is in what is called a " dog hutch," a sort of elongated 
chicken-coop chained to the deck, and generally infested 
with beetles and other obnoxious insects, though it is only 
fair to add that there are notable exceptions. During the 
tourist season, which extends from the end of November 
to April, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company offers an 
excellent series of special tours throughout the West Indies 
at reduced rates, and special arrangements for tourists 
from Canada and America are made by the same Company, 
the United Fruit Company, the Quebec Steamship Com- 
pany, the White Star Line, the Norddeutscher Lloyd 
Company, and the Hamburg-American Line. A list 
of the principal shipping companies whose steamers visit 
the West Indies, together with particulars regarding their 
itineraries and the fares charged, is given herewith. For 
convenience the various companies are numbered, and the 

*3 



14 



POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 



following table will help the reader to ascertain which 
companies serve the various islands and countries : 





From 

United 

Kingdom. 


From 
Europe. 


From 
Canada 


From 
United 
States. 


From South 
America. 


Antigua . 


i 78 


1 8 


13 


1 19 





Bahamas . 


— 


— 


— 


22 24 


— 


Barbados . 


13 5 7 8 9 


1 8 n 


13 


1 11 19 23 
26 28 


23 25 26 27 
28 


Bermuda . 


— 


— 


13 


1 15 19 


— ; 


British Guiana . 


145678 


1 8 10 11 


13 


1 11 14 19 


— 


British Honduras 


9 
5 


— 


— 


21 


— 


Cartagena 


1 3 5 


1 11 


— 


1 21 


— 


Colon . . 


12 3 5 


1 10 11 


— 


1 15 18 21 


— 


Cuba . . 


1 9 15 


1 10 15 


— 


1 22 23A 24 
24A 


27 


Curasao . 


3 5 


" 15 


— 


11 20 


— 


Dominica . 


1 78 


1 8 


13 


1 19 


— 


Grenada . 


1 7 


1 


13 


1 14 


— 


Guadeloupe 




10 


— 


19 


— 


Haiti 


— 


10 11 15 


— 


11 15 


— 


Isle of Pines 


— 


— 


— 


22 


— 


Jamaica . 


12379 


I I2A 13 


— 


1 15 21 


27 


La Guaira 


1 3 5 


I IO II 15 


— 


1 11 15 20 


— 


Martinique 


1 


I IO 


— 


1 19 


27 


Montserrat 


1 7 


I 


13 


1 


— 


Nevis 


1 


I 


— 


1 


— 


Porto Rico 


— 


10 15 


— 


17 20 


27 


Puerto Colombia 


13 5 


1 10 11 15 


— 


1 15 21 


— 


St. Kitts . 


1 7 


I 


13 


1 19 


— 


St. Lucia . 


1 7 8 


1 8 10 


13 


1 19 


— 


St. Thomas 


3 8 


8 15 


— 


19 


— 


St. Vincent 


1 7 


1 


13 


1 


— 


Santa Cruz 




— 


— 


19 


— 


Santa Marta 


2 3 


2 


— 


21 


— 


Santo Domingo . 




10 15 


— 


16 


— 


Tobago 


1 


I 


— 


1 


— 


Trinidad . 


13 5 7 8 9 


1 8 10 11 12 


13 


1 11 14 


25 27 28 


Turks Islands . 




' 




16 


~ 



From England (Southampton). (1) The Royal Mail 
Steam Packet Company (London, 18 Moorgate Street, E.C., 
and 32 Cockspur Street, S.W. ; Canada, Messrs. Pickford 
and Black Ltd., Halifax, N.S. ; the United States, New 
York, Messrs. Sanderson and Sons, 22 State Street). The 
transatlantic steamers of this company (under contract with 
the Imperial and Colonial Governments) leave Southampton 
on alternate Wednesdays for the West Indies and New York, 
calling at Cherbourg, the Azores (in summer only), Barbados, 
Trinidad, Puerto Colombia, Cartagena, Colon, Jamaica, and 
Cuba (Antilla). Leaving New York on alternate Saturdays, 



STEAMSHIP COMMUNICATION 



15 



From England — continued 

the steamers touch at the same ports on the homeward 
journey. Trinidad is the junction for intercolonial 
steamers, and passengers and mails are transhipped there 
for Georgetown (British Guiana), Tobago, Grenada, St. 
Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, Antigua, Nevis, 
and St. Kitts, and also for La Guaira, Pampatar (Margarita), 
and Carupano. The ordinary fares are as under : 





Single Tickets. 


Return Tickets. 


To OR FROM 

Southampton or 
Cherbourg. 










First 
Class. 


Second 
Cabin. 


First 
Class. 


Second 
Cabin. 




£ 


£ 


£ 


£ 


Azores (St. Michael's) . 


10 


7 


— 


— 


Antigua . 




25 


20 


40 


30 


Barbados . 






24 


18 


38 


27 


British Guiana 






25 


20 


40 


30 


Colon 






30 


20 


45 


30 


Cartagena 






30 


20 


45 


30 


Cuba (Antilla) 






30 


20 


45 


30 


Dominica . 






25 


20 


40 


30 


Grenada . 






25 


20 


40 


30 


Jamaica . 






30 


20 


45 


30 


New York. 






35 


25 


60 


40 


Montserrat 






25 


20 


40 


30 


Nevis 






25 


20 


40 


30 


St. Kitts . 






25 


20 


40 


30 


St. Lucia . 






25 


20 


40 


30 


St. Vincent 






25 


20 


40 


30 


Pto. Colombia 






30 


20 


45 


30 


Tobago 






25 


20 


40 


30 


Trinidad . 






25 


20 


40 


30 



Servants, f first-class fare (in servants' accommodation only). 

Besides the above-mentioned intercolonial steamers there 
are smaller vessels plying (a) round Dominica, (&) between 
Dominica, Martinique, and St. Lucia, (c) round Jamaica, 
(d) round St. Lucia, (e) round Trinidad and between 
Trinidad and Tobago, and (J) round Grenada. The Company 
arranges a series of independent tours from England and 
New York at very moderate prices. 

The Company also maintains a regular weekly service 



16 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

From England — continued 

between New York and Bermuda. Fares; from $18.75 
single and $25.00 return. The Ocean Yachting Steamer 
Arcadian (twin screw, 8939 tons) is also employed for 
special cruises from New York to Bermuda in January, 
February, and March. 

The Company also conducts a service between St. John, 
N.B., and Halifax, N.S., and the British West Indian islands 
and British Guiana (see No. 13, page 20). 

Fleet : West Indian transatlantic steamers : Essequibo, 
8500 tons ; Ebro, 8500 tons ; Oruba, 5971 tons ; Danube, 
5885 tons ; Tagus, 5545 tons ; and Trent, 5525 tons. 
Intercolonial steamers : Balantia (twin screw), 2379 tons ; 
Berbice (twin screw), 2379 tons. Coasting steamers : 
Barima, 1500 tons; Belize, 1500 tons; Jamaica, 11 38 
tons ; Yare, 299 tons ; Toff, 229 tons ; Teign, 229 tons ; 
and Towey, 229 tons. Bermuda route : Arcadian, 8939 
tons, and Caribbean, 5824 tons. 

The Hamburg- American Line (see page 22). 

(Bristol and Liverpool.) (2) Elders and Fyfjes Ltd. 
(31 Bow Street, London, W.C.). Steamers sail frequently 
and at regular intervals from Avonmouth, Bristol, to 
Kingston (Jamaica), Port Limon (Costa Rica) and Colon 
(Panama) ; from Liverpool to Santa Marta (Colombia) ; 
and from Rotterdam to Santa Marta, the round trip in each 
case taking five weeks. The boats have been specially 
built for the West Indian banana trade. The first six 
vessels of the fleet (see below) can take 65 passengers each ; 
but the others have accommodation for 12 only. In 
conjunction with the United Fruit Company, facilities are 
given for passengers proceeding to Barrios, Bocas del 
Toro, and other Central American ports. Fares : Kingston, 
£20 and .£35, Port Limon and Santa Marta, ^25 and 45. 

Fleet : Changuinola, 6000 tons ; Motagua, 6000 tons ; 
Patuca, 6100 tons ; Bayano, 5948 tons ; Patia, 591 1 tons j 
Chagres, 5288 tons ; Aracataca, 4400 tons ; Manzanares, 
4400 tons ; Tortuguero, 41 61 tons ; Reventazon, 4041 
tons ; Barranca, 41 15 tons ; Chirripo, 4041 tons ; Manistee, 
3869 tons; Pacuare, 3891 tons; Nicoya, 391 1 tons; 
}datiyia, 3870 tons ; Miami, 3762 tons ; mdZent, 3890 tpns. 



STEAMSHIP COMMUNICATION i; 

From England — continued 

(Dartmouth.) The Direct Line of Steamers (see below). 

(Liverpool.) (3) Frederick Leyland and Co. Ltd. 
(27 James Street, Liverpool). Regular sailings from Liver- 
pool to Barbados, Trinidad, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, 
Curacao, Port Limon, Santa Marta and Cartagena ; also 
to St. Thomas, Puerto Colombia, Colon, and Kingston 
(Jamaica), Puerto Mexico, Vera Cruz, Tampico, and 
Progreso. Fares ; Barbados and Trinidad, £17 10s. ; 
Kingston, ^20 ; St. Thomas, ^16 ; Venezuela, Colombia, 
Colon, and Mexico, £20 per adult, including train fare 
London to Liverpool. 

(4) The "Booker" Line (Booker Bros., McConneli and 
Co. Ltd., 77 The Albany, Liverpool). First-class cargo 
steamers of this line sail from Liverpool to Demerara 
(British Guiana) direct every three weeks. They have 
accommodation for a limited number of cabin passengers. 

(5) The Harrison Line (Richard Bulman and Co., of 
Mersey Chambers, Liverpool). Cargo steamers from Liver- 
pool to Barbados, and thence to Trinidad, Demerara, La 
Guaira, Puerto Cabello and Curacao. Also from Liverpool 
to Puerto Colombia, thence to Cartagena, Colon (Panama), 
Belize, Stann Creek, Puerto Barrios and Livingston. 
Fares : Barbados and Trinidad, £17 10s. ; Belize, £2$. 

Elders and Fyffes Ltd. (see page 16). 

(London.) (6) The Demerara and Berbice Steamship Co. 
Ltd. (William Smith and Co., of 86 Leadenhall Street, 
London, E.C.), London to Demerara and Surinam. Fares : 
to Demerara, £ij 10s. 

(7) The Direct Line of Steamers (Scrutton, Sons and Co.; 
16 Fenchurch Avenue, London, E.C. ; Prentice, Service 
and Henderson, 175 West George Street, Glasgow). Fort- 
nightly sailings from London and Dartmouth to Bar- 
bados, Grenada, Trinidad, and Demerara. Fares : £ij 10s. 
Transhipment is effected at Barbados for St. Vincent, 
St. Lucia, Dominica, &c. Four-weekly sailings to Antigua; 
St. Kitts, Montserrat, Dominica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. 
Fares : £17 10s. Four-weekly sailings to Jamaica (Fare : 
£iy 10s.), proceeding to Puerto Mexico, Vera Cruz, and 
Tampico. 



1 8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

From England — continued 

(8) The East Asiatic Company Ltd. (Copenhagen; London 
agents, Escombe, McGrath and Co., 3 East India Avenue, 
E.C.). Steamers leave Copenhagen, Rotterdam, and 
London every four weeks and proceed direct to St. Thomas 
(14 days). They then call at Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, 
Barbados, Trinidad, Demerara, and Paramaribo. First- 
siloon passengers only are carried, and tickets for the round 
voyage, which occupies about eight weeks, cost ^38. 
Two new steamers are being built for this service and should 
be commissioned soon after the publication of this guide. 

A fully qualified medical officer and a stewardess are 
carried on each of the steamers. The cabins are situated amid- 
ships on the main and upper decks. Fares from London : 
St. Thomas, single, £17 10s. ; return, £33 10s. ; Antigua and 
Dominica, single, £iS 10s. ; return, £35 10s. ; Barbados 
and St. Lucia, single, £19 ; return, £36 ; Trinidad and 
Demerara, single, £20 ; return, £38. 

From Scotland (Glasgow). (9) The Direct Line of Steamers 
(Prentice, Service and Henderson, 175 West George Street, 
Glasgow ; Scrutton, Sons and Co., 16 Fenchurch Avenue, 
London, E.C.). Three-weekly sailings to Barbados, Trini- 
dad and Demerara. Fares : £17 10s. ; also calling at, or 
transhipping at Barbados for other West India Islands; 
also occasional sailings to Jamaica and Cuba as cargo 
offers. 

From Belgium (Antwerp). The Hamburg- American Line 
{see page 22). 

From Denmark (Copenhagen). The East Asiatic Com- 
pany Ltd. (see above). 

From France (Bordeaux, Havre, and St. Nazaire). 

(10) Compagnie Generate Transatlantique (Paris, 6 Rue 
Auber; London, 8 Lloyd's Avenue, E.C.) A steamer 
leaves St. Nazaire every 28 days, calling at the following 
ports : Pointe-a-Pitre and Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe), 
Fort-de-France (Martinique), La Guaira, Puerto Colombia, 
and Colon. A steamer also leaves Havre, Bordeaux, and 
Santander every twenty-eight days, calling at Pointe-a- 
Pitre and Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe), Fort de-France 



STEAMSHIP COMMUNICATION ig 

From France — continued 

(Martinique), Trinidad, Carupano, La Guaira, Puerto 
Colombia, and Colon. A steamer also leaves St. Nazaire 
on the 21st of each month for Santander, Corunna, Havana 
(Cuba) and Vera Cruz. 

An intercolonial steamer leaves Fort-de-France every 
twenty-eight days, on the arrival of the transatlantic 
steamer from St. Nazaire, and touches at St. Lucia, 
Trinidad, Demerara, Surinam and Cayenne (French Guiana). 
A steamer leaves Havre and Bordeaux every twenty-eight 
days for San Juan (Porto Rico), Puerto Plata, Cape Haitien 
and Port au Prince (Haiti). 

Fares : London to Trinidad via Southampton and Havre : 
First cabin, £32 to £40. Elsewhere according to route. 

Fleet : Espagne, 1 1,926 tons ; La Champagne, 7299 tons ; 
La Navarre, 6,983 tons ; Guadeloupe, 7166 tons ; Perou, 
7163 tons ; Haiti, 6600 tons ; Puerto Rico, 6600 tons ; and 
He de Cuba, 11,000 tons. 

(Cherbourg.) The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company 
{see page 14). 

(Havre.) Compagnie Gen&rale Transatlantique {see page 2 1 ) 
and The Hamburg-American Line {see page 22). 

(Marseilles.) " La Veloce " Navigazione Italiana a Vapor e 
{see page 20) . 

From Germany (Hamburg). The Hamburg-American 
Line {see page 22). 

From Holland (Amsterdam). (11) Koninklijke West- 
Indische Mail Dienst (The Royal Dutch West India Mail, de 
Riiyterkade 125, Amsterdam), under contract with the 
Netherlands Government for the conveyance of mails. 
Line A. Steamers sail from Amsterdam every fortnight, 
the ports of call being Paramaribo (Dutch Guiana), George- 
town (Demerara), Trinidad, Venezuelan ports, Curacao, 
the principal Haitian ports, New York, and vice versa. 
Line B. Steamers sail from Amsterdam and Rotterdam 
every three weeks, calling at Barbados, La Guaira, 
Curacao, Puerto Colombia, Cartagena and Colon, and 
back via Cartagena, Puerto Colombia, Curacao, Puerto 
Cabello, La Guaira, Trinidad, Havre to Amsterdam. 
Cargo-boats till 191 5 ; then passenger steamers.) Line C. 



20 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

From Holland (Amsterdam) — continued 
Steamers also leave New York every fortnight for Para- 
maribo (Dutch Guiana), calling en route at Barbados, Port 
of Spain (Trinidad), and Georgetown (British Guiana), and 
returning via Trinidad to New York. 

Fleet : Jan van Nassau, 3350 tons ; Lodewyk van Nassau, 
3350 tons ; Commewyne, 2486 tons ; Nickerie, 2478 tons ; 
Prins der Nederlanden, 2207 tons ; Prins Frederik Hendrik, 
2164 tons ; Prins Maurits, 212 1 tons ; Prins Willem I., 
2 121 tons ; Oranje Nassau, 3721 tons, and Prins Willem V '., 
2108 tons. 

(Rotterdam.) The East Astatic Company Ltd. (see page 1 8) 
and Elders and Fyjfes Ltd. (see page 16) . 

(12a) De Algemeene Stoomvaartmaatschappij (Managers, 
Wambersie and Zoon, Rotterdam). Fortnightly sailings 
between Rotterdam and Jamaica, and vice versa. Each 
steamer has first class accommodation for thirty passengers. 
The cabins are situated amidships on the main and upper- 
decks. Also a suite of very comfortable state rooms is 
obtainable. A fully qualified medical officer and a 
stewardess are carried on each of the ships. 

From Italy and Spain (Genoa and Barcelona). (12) " La 
Veloce " Navigazione Italiana a Vapor e (Genoa, Italy, Via 
Balbi No. 6). Trinidad can be reached from Genoa, 
Marseilles, and Barcelona by this line every month. Fares 
from Genoa, 1st class, from 700 frcs. (^28) ; 2nd class, from 
550 frcs. (£22) ; 3rd class, 210 frcs. (£8 8s.). 

From Spain (Santander). Compagnie Ge*n£rale Trans- 
atlantique (see page 18), "La Veloce" (see above), and The 
Hamburg American-Line (see page 22). 

From Canada (St. John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, 

Nova Scotia) . (13) The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company 
(Agents: Halifax, N.S., Pickford and Black Limited). The 
steamers of this company under contract with the Govern- 
ment of the Dominion of Canada sail from St. John, New 
Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, every fourteen 
days on the following routes alternately : (a) Bermuda, 
St. Kitts, Antigua, Montserrat, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. 



STEAMSHIP COMMUNICATION 



21 



From Canada — continued 

Vincent, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad, and returning 
from Georgetown to St. John, calling at Trinidad, Grenada, 
Barbados, Antigua, St. Kitts and Bermuda, (b) Bermuda, 
St. Kitts, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad, and 
returning from Georgetown, calling at the following islands : 
Trinidad, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica, 
Montserrat, Antigua, St. Kitts and Bermuda. 

Children under twelve, half rate ; under eight, quarter fare, 
one child under three, free. First-cabin passengers are 
allowed 20 cubic feet of baggage, second 15 cubic feet 
of baggage, third 10 cubic feet free, excess being charged 
for at is. per cubic foot. 





I St 


1st 


2nd 


2nd 


3rd 


Halifax, N.S. 


Class 


Class 


Class 


Class 


Class 




Single. 


Return. 


Single. 


Return. 


Single. 




$ 


$ 


$ 


$ 


$ 


Antigua 


50 


80 


35 


60 


25 


Barbados 






55 


85 


40 


65 


30 


Bermuda 






30 


50 


25 


40 


15 


Demerara 






70 


100 


50 


75 


40 


Dominica 






55 


85 


40 


65 


30 


Grenada 






60 


90 


45 


70 


35 


Montserrat 






55 


85 


40 


65 


3° 


St. Kitts 






50 


80 


35 


60 


25 


St. Lucia 






55 


85 


40 


65 


3° 


St. Vincent 






55 


85 


40 


65 


3° 


Trinidad 


60 


90 


45 


70 


35 



The steamers on this service are : Caraquet, 4890 tons ; 
Chaudiere, 3985 tons ; Chaleur, 4747 tons ; Chignecto, 
4745 tons. 

Transfers can be made in connection with this service 
at Trinidad to Main Line Steamers to New York and 
Southampton, and for North and South Pacific Ports, 
via Colon and Panama. 

From the United States (New York). The Royal Mail 
Steam Packet Company {see page 14). 

(14) The Trinidad Line of Steamers (The Trinidad Shipping 
and Trading Co. Ltd., 29 Broadway, New York ; Rich- 



22 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

From the United States (New York) — continued 
mond Street, Trinidad ; Head Office, 175 West George 
Street, Glasgow). The vessels of this line, which have 
excellent accommodation for travellers, leave New York 
every ten days for Grenada and Trinidad, and vice versa. 
Fares : single, $55 (£11 9s. 2d.) ; return, $100 (^20 16s. 8d.). 
The passage occupies about eight days. From October to 
January the service is extended to Demerara. Fare : single, 
$70 (£14 us. 8d.) ; return, $135 (£28 is. 6d.). Steamers: 
Matura, 6600 tons; Mayaro, 5800 tons; and Maracas, 
4000 tons. 

(15) The Hamburg- American Line (Atlas Line Service, 
London, 15-16 Cockspur Street, S.W. ; New York, 41-45 
Broadway ; Hamburg) . A steamer of this company leaves 
New York every Saturday for Jamaica, direct, arriving at 
Kingston on the following Friday, and a steamer leaves 
Kingston for New York every Thursday evening. Fares : 
single £9 to ^15 ; return, £17 2s. to £28 10s. During the 
winter months, beginning in December, a special steamer 
runs between New York and Jamaica fortnightly, leaving 
New York on Wednesday and Jamaica on Tuesday. Fares : 
first-class cabin, £9 and upwards. Through tickets are 
issued from London via Southampton, in connection with 
the company's transatlantic service. Besides the Jamaica 
route, a special service is maintained by this line between 
New York and all Haitian ports, leaving New York every 
Thursday, with connections to Savanilla, &c. ; also 
four times a month to Colon and monthly to Guatemala. 
Steamers of the Hamburg- American Line leave Hamburg 
via Havre and Southampton, twice a month, for Santander, 
Corunna, and Havana, Cuba, arriving at the latter port 
in seventeen days. This service is at present served by 
the s.s. Furst Bismarck, Kronprinzessin Cecilie, Ypiranga 
and Corcovado, vessels each over 8000 tons. Intermediate 
steamers proceed from Hamburg via Antwerp, Spanish 
ports and the Canary Islands to Havana (Cuba) and Mexico. 
The company also maintains regular sailings from Europe 
to Porto Rico, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Jamaica, Venezuela, 
Curacao, Puerto Colombia, Port Limon, and Porto Barrios. 
Cargo steamers leave Hamburg twice a month for St 



STEAMSHIP COMMUNICATION 23 

From the United States (New York) — continued 
Thomas and Havana, Cuba. Fares : £2.0. Children over 
twelve full fare ; from two to twelve, half fare, and under 
two years free. These steamers give a convenient oppor- 
tunity for travelling between St. Thomas and Havana. 
The steamers on this service are Syria and St. Jan. During 
the winter months the twin-screw steamer Victoria Luise, 
16,500 tons, and others make a series of cruises to the West 
Indies, Spanish Main, Colon, and Bermuda. 

(16) Clyde Steamship Company. (Santo Domingo Line, 1 1 
Broadway, New York). Steamers leave Pier 34, Brooklyn, 
New York, three times a month (approximately 10th, 20th 
and 30th) for Grand Turk (Turks Islands) and Monte Cristi, 
Puerto Plata, Sanchez, Samana, Macoris, La Romana, 
Santo Domingo City and Azua in Santo Domingo. Fares • 
to Grand Turk, $35, and to Santo Dominican ports, $40 to 
$70. Round-trip tickets are issued in either direction at 
twice the single fare less 5 per cent., the return portion 
being available for six months from date of issue. Special 
cruise, 23 days, all expenses, $120. 

Fleet : Algonquin, 4780 tons ; Seminole, 4447 tons, and 
Iroquois, 6060 tons displacement. 

(17) The New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company 
(New York, 1 1 Broadway ; London, Ben. Ackerley and Son, 
10 Fenchurch Street, E.C.). Steamers leave Pier 35, 
Brooklyn, New York, at 12 noon every Saturday, for San 
Juan, Porto Rico (Pier No. 1) — 1380 miles — which is 
reached in five days. They call at Ponce two days later, 
and Mayaguez two days later again. The steamers leave 
San Juan on the return voyage every Wednesday at 5 p.m. 
Fares : First cabin, $45 up ; second cabin, $25 to $30. 
Rate for entire cruise, including every expense on the trip 
down and return and while aboard the steamer and on the 
island, touching at the three ports, first cabin, $110 to 
$120. A direct service is maintained between New Orleans 
and Porto Rico by the s.s. Ponce. 

Passenger Fleet : Brazos, 10,000 tons ; Carolina, 8000 
tons ; Coamo, 8000 tons ; San Juan, 6000 tons ; Ponce, 
6000 tons ; Ramos, 1500 tons. 

(18) The Panama Rail Road Steamship Line (New York, 



24 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

From the United States (New York) — continued 
24 State Street). Steamers leave Piers 52 and 67, North 
River (foot of Gansevoort Street and West 27th Street 
respectively) every five days, for Cristobal (Colon) . 

Fares: To Cristobal, cabin $75.00; Round trip, 
$100.00. 

Fleet : Ancon, 10,000 tons ; Cristobal, 10,000 tons ; 
Colon, 6000 tons ; Panama, 6000 tons ; Allianca, 4500 
tons, and Advance, 3000 tons. 

(19) The Quebec Steamship Company Ltd. (A. E. Outer- 
bridge and Co., 29 Broadway, New York). Steamers sail 
every fourteen days from New York to St. Thomas, St. 
Croix, St. Kitts, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Mar- 
tinique, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Demerara. The voyage 
from New York to the first port takes about six days, and 
the length of time spent at each of the islands is about six or 
eight hours. After discharging cargo the steamer usually 
proceeds to the next port at night, so that tourists have an 
opportunity of going ashore during the daytime. The 
length of time required to make the round trip from New 
York to Demerara and back is almost thirty days, the 
steamers calling off the islands on the voyage north in 
passing, whether by day or at night, to pick up mails and 
passengers and freight. The rate of passage from New York 
to any island is $50 (^10 85. 4^.), $55 (^11 gs. 2d.), and $60 
(£1 2 ios.), according to the accommodation, and to Demerara, 
$70 (^14 us. 8d.). For some special deck cabins there is an 
extra charge of $5 (£1 os. iod.). The 5.5. Bermudian, 
leaves New York for Bermuda every Wednesday at 10 a.m. 
and returns every Saturday. Return tickets are double 
the above rates. Fleet : Guiana, 3600 tons ; Parima, 
3000 tons ; Korona, 3000 tons, and Bermudian, 10,518 
tons. 

(20) The Red " D " Line (New York : Bliss, Dallet and 
Company, 82 Wall Street). Steamers leave New York 
weekly. In one week they visit San Juan (Porto Rico), 
Curacao, La Guaira, and Puerto Cabello, and in the next, 
Mayagiiez (Porto Rico), La Guaira and Curacao. The 
company also maintains a service between Curacao and 
Maracaibo. Fares : San Juan and Mayagiiez, $35 



STEAMSHIP COMMUNICATION 25 

From the United States (New York) — continued 
{£7 5s. lod.) ; Curasao, $60 (£12 10s.) ; La Guaira, $60 
(^12 10s.) ; Puerto Cabello, $65 (^13 10s. iod.). 
Fleet : Caracas, Philadelphia, Zulia and Maracaibo. 

(21) The United Fruit Company (Head Office, 131 State 
Street, Boston, Mass., U.S.A.). New steamers of this line sail 
from New York (Pier 16 East River), every Wednesday, 12 
noon, for Kingston, Jamaica, proceeding from there to 
Colon (Panama), Cartagena, Puerto Colombia, and Santa 
Marta (Colombia) ; every Saturday at mid-day for Kingston 
(Jamaica), Colon (Panama), and Port Limon (Costa Rica) ; 
and every Thursday at 3 p.m. for Santiago (Cuba), and 
Belize (British Honduras). Steamers leave New Orleans 
every Thursday at 11 a.m. for Belize, and Boston every 
Thursday for Havana and Port Limon. First-class Fares : 
New York and Kingston, $45 one way, $85.50 round trip ; 
New York and Belize, $45 ; New Orleans and Havana, 
$25 ; New Orleans and Belize, $25 ; and Boston and 
Havana, $45. Special summer excursion rates : between 
New York and Kingston, round trip, $75. Frequent 
sailings between Port Antonio, Jamaica, and Annotto 
Bay, Port Maria, Oracabessa, Rio Nuevo, St. Ann's 
Bay, Runaway Bay, Dry Harbour, Rio Bueno, Falmouth, 
Montego Bay, Lucea, and Green Island. European Traffic 
Agent, A. J. Shepherd, 9 New Broad Street, London, E.C. 

Fleet: New York — Jamaica Service: Almirante, 5000 
tons ; Santa Marta, 5000 tons ; Metapan, 5000 tons ; 
Zacapa, 5000 tons ; Sixaola, 5000 tons ; Carrillo, 5000 tons ; 
Tivives, 5000 tons ; and Pastor es, Calamares and 
Tenadores, each 8800 tons : New York — Santiago and 
Belize : Suriname and Saramacca each 3284 tons. 

(22) The Ward Line (New York and Cuba Mail Steam- 
ship Company ; New York, Pier 14, East River). Steamers 
leave New York (Pier 14) every other Friday at 3 p.m. for 
Nassau, Bahamas (4 days), Guantanamo, Cuba (7 days) and 
Santiago, Cuba (8 days), returning from Santiago on the 
following Tuesday week and Nassau on Friday and reaching 
New York on Monday ; on every Saturday at 1 p.m. for 
Havana, Cuba (4 days), returning on Saturday, reaching 
New York on Tuesday ; and on every Thursday at 1 p,m. 



26 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

From the United States (New York) — continued 
for Havana (4 days), Progreso (6 days) and Vera Cruz 
(8 days), returning from Vera Cruz on Thursday, Havana 
on Tuesday, and reaching New York on Friday. Fares : 
from New York to Nassau, first cabin $25 to $45, second 
cabin $15 ; to Havana, first cabin $45, second cabin $15 ; 
from Nassau to Havana or vice versa, first cabin $25. 

Fleet — Nassau and Cuba service : Vigilancia, 6400 tons ; 
Seguranca, 6400 tons. Cuba service: Saratoga, 10,112; 
Havana, 10,112 tons. Cuban and Mexican service : 
Esperanza, 7500 tons ; Mexico, 9685 tons ; Monterey, 7500 
tons ; Morro Castle, 9500 tons. 

Connections are made at Havana with the United Rail- 
ways of Havana to Batabano, Cuba, and at Batabano with 
the Isle of Pines SS. Co. for Nueva Gerona, Isle of Pines. 
The Isle of Pines steamers leave Batabano on Wednesday 
and Friday on arrival of train leaving Central Station of the 
United Railways of Havana in Havana at 6 p.m. Fare : 
first class, including stateroom on steamers, Havana to Isle 
of Pines, $7.60. 

(23a) The Munson Steamship Line. Steamers sail several 
times every month from Pier 9, East River, at 12 noon, for 
Nipe Bay and other Cuban Ports. Fare : $35.00. 

(23) The Booth Steamship Company Ltd. (Head Office : 
Tower Building, Liverpool ; London Office : 1 1 Aldelphi 
Terrace, Strand ; New York : Booth and Co., 17 Battery 
Place; Barbados: Laurie and Co. Ltd.). Passenger 
steamers of the Booth Line sail from New York on or about 
the 7th and 17th of each month for Para and Manaos, via 
Barbados, and vice versa, leaving Manaos about the 7th and 
17th of each month. Fares : New York-Barbados, $55 
single, $110 return; Para-Barbados, $40 single, $70 return; 
Manaos-Barbados $60 single, $105 return. 

Koninklijke West-Indische Mail Dienst (see page 19). 

(New Orleans.) (24a) Southern Pacific Atlantic Steam- 
ship Lines. Steamers leave New Orleans for Havana every 
Saturday at 11 a.m. and Havana for New Orleans every 
Saturday at 2 p.m. Fare : $25.00, or round trip $45.00. 

The United Fruit Company (see page 25), 



STEAMSHIP COMMUNICATION 27 

(Key West and Miami, Florida.) (24) The Peninsular 
and Occidental Steamship Company (Jacksonville, Florida). 
From the first week in January to the first week in April 
a steamer plies weekly between Miami, Florida, and Nassau, 
Bahamas. Fares : single $15 ; round trip $26. Steamer : 
Miami. 

A steamer leaves Key West daily (Sunday excepted) 
at 9 a.m., reaching Havana at 5.30 p.m. There is also a 
daily service in the opposite direction, the steamer leaving 
Havana at 10 a.m. and reaching Key West at 6.30 p.m. 
The company also conducts a service between Port Tampa 
and Havana. 

From South America (Brazil). The Booth Steamship 
Company Ltd, (see page 26). 

(25) Lamport and Holt Line (Liverpool, Royal Liver 
Building ; New York, Busk and Daniels). Steamers call 
at Barbados and Trinidad fortnightly en route from the 
Argentine and Brazil to New York. The steamers Vestris, 
9800 tons, and Vandyck, 9800 tons, call at Barbados on 
their south-bound voyage. 

(26) Lloyd Brazileiro (Corrientes 394, Buenos Ayres). 
Steamers of this line ply between New York and Brazil, 
sailing every four weeks, and calling at Barbados en route. 

(27) The Houston Line (10 Dale Street, Liverpool). 
Steamers call at Trinidad, Barbados, Martinique, Ponce, San 
Juan, Jamaica, Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas and Cardenas 
on voyage from River Plate to Boston and New York. 

(28) The Prince Line (Milburn House, Newcastle-on- 
Tyne ; Paul F. Gerhard and Co., 8-10 Bridge Street, New 
York) . ' Steamers of this line call at Barbados and Trinidad 
fortnightly on their voyage between Brazil and New York. 

From India (Calcutta). (29) The Nourse Line (James 
Nourse Ltd., London, 71 King William Street ; Calcutta, 5 
Commercial Buildings) . Steamers of the Nourse Line leave 
Calcutta with emigrants and cargo on or about the 27th 
of each month for the principal West Indian ports. Accom- 
modation is provided for passengers between Trinidad and 
other West Indian islands, also between the West Indies 
and Calcutta. 



CHAPTER III 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

{concluded) 

Outfit : Passports : The Voyage : Time : Table of 

Distances : Customs : Telegrams : Postal facilities : 

Population : Religion : Freemasonry : Language : The 

Laundry : Books 

OUTFIT, There is no need to buy an elaborate outfit for 
a visit to the West Indies. It should be borne in mind that 
the less luggage that is taken the better it is for the temper. 
Where much land travelling is contemplated, substantial 
leather suit-cases and portmanteaux are best. They can 
be kept in good condition and insect-proof by periodical 
applications of brown boot polish. A capacious canvas 
sack, with a padlock fastening, into which surplus effects 
can be dumped at the last minute, is the greatest con- 
venience, and a fold-up cabin " tidy " with pouches for the 
various articles of the toilet is almost indispensable. A few 
cakes of sea-water soap are a comfort. Should the steamer 
be the base of operations of the tourist, steel or stout 
leather cabin trunks are recommended, the most convenient 
size being 36 in. long, 20 in. wide, and 14 in. deep. For 
storing outer clothing there is nothing better than tin 
uniform cases known as " canisters " in the West Indies, 
where they find great favour in the " bush." The same 
clothes should be taken as would be worn in a hot summer 
in England. Merino or some similar fabric should in- 
variably be worn next the skin, and linen suits, which are 
provocative of chills, avoided. Flannel next the body is 
conducive to that irritating complaint known as " prickly 
heat " and other skin troubles. Warm clothing must not 

28 



GENERAL INFORMATION 29 

be doffed too soon at sea, and on no account should it be 
sent home, as it is essential for the homeward voyage. 
For men, thin flannel or light tweed suits, breeches, and 
gaiters, and thin dress clothes, canvas shirts, with merino 
or silk underwear and pyjamas, are most suitable. Thick 
merino socks or stockings are best, as they prevent the feet 
becoming chilled when wet or damp. 

Ladies should take their usual thin summer dresses, but 
shun openwork blouses, which are a source of great attrac- 
tion to mosquitoes, and, owing to the action of the sun, give 
the wearer the appearance of being tattooed when she 
appears in evening dress. Dresses and parasols made of 
glace silk and chiffon taffeta should also be left at home, as 
they suffer in the tropics. Ladies are strongly advised to 
provide themselves with articles of pongee or of soft washing 
silk and also with sun veils of brown gauze or fine chiffon. 
They would be well advised too to lay in a supply of good 
cold cream, lotions, toilet soap, &c, before sailing. Cit- 
ronella oil lightly applied to the face and hands will be 
found wonderfully effective in warding off the attacks 
of mosquitoes. Hats should be shady and of as light 
weight as possible, and ladies should always wear wool or 
silk next the skin. They should also provide light wraps for 
protection against chills in the evenings, and heavier ones 
for travelling by sea. For night attire a material called 
India Gauze, a mixture of silk and wool, is recommended, 
being soft and light and affording just the necessary protec- 
tion from chills, against which it is particularly necessary 
to guard, no bed clothing to speak of being provided. Silk 
stockings are preferable to cotton, and two pairs of the former 
worn at the same time are said to be impervious to mosqui- 
toes. Sequin dresses should not be taken, as the sequins yield 
to the great heat and become sticky. A large sun umbrella 
should be carried in the sun, and, as it is often necessary 
to start for long day excursions before dawn, when the 
temperature is, comparatively speaking, low, a loose flannel 
coat or wrap is indispensable. A thin silk tea-gown and 
an ordinary evening dress should also form part of the out- 
fit. Tourists will be well advised not to make themselves 
too conspicuous with puggarees and similar eccentricities 



3 o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

as cabmen and boatmen naturally consider those who do so 
to be fair game, and deal with them accordingly. Terai 
hats may be taken with advantage, but other kinds of sun 
hats are best purchased locally. They should, if possible, 
have red linings, as these mitigate the harmful effects of 
the actinic or chemical rays of the sun. Blue spectacles are 
a comfort in Barbados, where the glare from the coral roads 
is very trying. A waterproof cape will be found convenient, 
but in ordering it care should be taken to mention that it 
is for use in the tropics, as beetles have a predilection for 
inferior caoutchouc. Kid and patent leather should be 
avoided for footwear for the same reason. Deck chairs can 
nowadays generally be hired aboard the steamers (R.M.S.P. 
Co., 4s. for the voyage), but to ensure complete comfort 
it is better for the traveller to take his or her own. A 
photographic camera should certainly be included among 
the impedimenta of the tour. Owing to the remarkable 
rarity of the atmosphere, surprisingly good results can be 
obtained with a hand camera ; but to secure the best it is 
desirable for those who do not develop their own negatives 
to send back the exposed films in tin cases sealed with 
sticking plaster for development at home, and to arrange 
for a fresh supply of films or plates to be sent out to them 
every fortnight. It is in this way that the most successful 
results are secured, though films and plates can be obtained 
and developed in the larger islands and British Guiana. 
Golf clubs should be taken by those tourists who contem- 
plate a stay of any duration in the Bahamas, Bermuda, 
Barbados, British Guiana, Trinidad, Jamaica, Antigua, St. 
Vincent, Cuba, or Porto Rico, and also tennis racquets. 
For deep-sea fishing, special tackle may be taken, and also 
a gun for sport in those islands where it can be enjoyed. 

PASSPORTS. Passports are not required in the British 
West Indies, but they are necessary in Haiti and Santo 
Domingo, and. travellers in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the 
French, Danish, and Dutch West Indies are advised to carry 
them to save inconvenience when evidence of identity or 
nationality is required. This applies also to countries on 
the Spanish Main. Applications for passports should be 
addressed to " The Passport Department, Foreign Office, 



GENERAL INFORMATION 31 

London, S.W.," and must reach there before 5 p.m. on the 
day prior to that on which the passport is to be issued. 
The charge for a passport is 2s., and copies of the regulations 
are obtainable from the Foreign Office on application. In 
America applications for passports should be addressed 
to the Passport Bureau, State Department, Washington. 

THE VOYAGE. The delights of a sea voyage have often 
been described, and no visitor to the Caribbean who commits 
his impressions to paper on his return fails to expatiate 
regarding the familiar scenes and amusements on ship- 
board, such as the daily " sweep " on the run of the ship, 
the parade of the crew on Sunday, the fiddles on the tables 
in rough weather, leading inevitably to reference to the 
concerts, the fancy balls, and so on, which make the eleven 
days between Southampton and Barbados, the ten days 
between Avonmouth and Jamaica, and the shorter journeys 
between Canada and the United States and the West Indies 
pass so pleasantly for the traveller who takes Kingsley's 
advice, and towards his fellow passengers is 

To their faults a little blind ; 
And to their virtues very kind. 

The itinerary of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company 
is subject to variation, but at present the vessels of this line 
leave Southampton punctually at midday. A special train 
from Waterloo runs alongside the steamer at Southampton 
Docks, which are reached in two hours. In an incredibly 
short space of time passengers, luggage, and mails are 
aboard, and the steamer is slipping down Southampton 
Water, passing Netley on the left, or port side, as it should 
now be called. On turning into the Solent, past Calshot 
Castle (right), Cowes, the famous yachting headquarters in 
the Isle of Wight, is seen, and then in succession Yarmouth, 
Totland Bay, Alum Bay, and the Needles to the left, with 
Hurst Castle standing out on a spit of sand to the right. 
The pilot is dropped off the Needles, and the steamer pro- 
ceeds to Cherbourg, where passengers are embarked that 
evening, and thence to the Azores, where the first call is 
made during several months of the year. Occasionally, 
however, a stop is made at Vigo, whose magnificent bay 



32 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

has been the scene of many naval engagements. The town 
was assaulted and burnt by the English under Drake and 
Norris in 1589 ; and, on October 22, 1702, the combined 
English and Dutch fleets attacked the French and Spanish 
in the port. Several men-of-war and galleons were taken 
and many destroyed, and an abundance of plate and other 
valuable effects fell into the hands of the conquerors. Vigo 
was taken by Lord Cobham in 1719, but relinquished. It 
was again captured by the British in 1 809, but was restored 
to its former owners. From Cherbourg then, or Vigo, the 
transatlantic voyage begins. 

Two days out the cold winds begin to lose their sting, 
and on the third there is felt an appreciable change in the 
climate, which becomes sensibly milder, even if the weather 
is stormy. 

After four days, the romantic group of islands known as 
the Azores is reached. These Western Islands, as they are 
also called, belong to Portugal, from which they are distant 
800 miles, and are supposed to be the site of the ancient 
Atlantis. They were discovered in the fifteenth century 
by Van der Berg, of Bruges, and by 1457 the whole of the 
islands were discovered, and the name Azores given to 
them from the number of goshawks (Port. A gov) found on 
them. From 1580 to 1640 they were subject to Spain. 
The islands must always have a peculiar interest for 
Englishmen as being the scene of the memorable engage- 
ment between the Spanish and British fleets on August 30, 
1 591, when the redoubtable deeds of valour were per- 
formed by Sir Richard Grenville, whose ship the Revenge 
engaged eight great Spanish galleons for twelve hours, and 
was boarded three times : 

And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the 
summer sea, 

But never a moment ceased the fight of the one and the fifty- 
three. 

Ship after ship, the whole night long, their high-built galleons 
came, 

Ship after ship, the whole night long, with her battle thunder 
and flame. 

Here it was that Sir Richard, shot through the body and 



GENERAL INFORMATION 33 

through the head, having been carried by the stately Spanish 
men to their flagship, said : 

I have fought for Queen and Faith like a valiant man and 

true ; . . . 
With a joyful spirit I Sir Richard Grenville die. 

The Azores consist of three distinct groups of islands, 
which are connected by wireless telegraphy. To the south- 
east are St. Michael's and Sta. Maria ; in the centre, Fayal, 
Pico, Sao Jorge, Terceira, and Graciosa, and to the north- 
west, Flores and Corvo. The most important trade centre 
is Ponta Delgada (the sharp point), the capital of St. 
Michael's, the principal island. This town, which for size 
ranks third amongst the cities of Portugal, has an excellent 
harbour and a population of 20,000. 

The boat-fare to the shore is 15. and the steamers usually 
wait in port for a sufficiently long time to enable passengers 
to take one of the following drives, which are recommended : 
(1) To Pico do Salomao or Pico do Lima, from both of 
which eminences there are good views. (2) To the Caldeiras 
da Ribeira Grande and Lombadas, a three hours' drive to 
a valley containing thermal springs and a small bathing 
establishment. Thence a good path for donkey riding 
winds through picturesque scenery to Lombadas. (3) To 
Lake Fogo, which can be reached on foot from the carriage 
road by those making the circular drive to Villa Franca 
and Ribeira Grande. Excursions are also recommended 
(when time permits) to Sete Cidades. Passengers drive by 
a pleasant route which occupies two hours to Lomba la 
Cruz, whence a bridle path leads in three-quarters of an 
hour to the summit of the Crater (donkeys can be hired). 
Also to Povocao, whence the ascent to Furnas can be made 
by carriage or donkey in about two hours. 

The best hotels in Ponta Delgada are Brown's Hotel, at 
the back of the town, and Acoriano Hotel, near the landing- 
stage. 

After passing the Azores, awnings are put out, and the 
first touch of the tropics begins to make itself felt ; cooler 
garments are donned, and the officers of the ship appear 
in white suits. The Roaring Forties, as the seas between 

c 



34 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

latitudes 40 and 50 are called, are by no means so formid- 
able as they are supposed to be, and need inspire no appre- 
hension. Soon the Sargasso Sea is entered, and tourists 
will note, probably for the first time, the remarkable Gulf 
weed, which floats in a vast eddy or central pool of the 
Atlantic between the Gulf Stream and the equatorial 
current. It was on entering this sea that the crew of 
Columbus' ships very nearly mutinied, believing that the 
vessels had reached land, and were on the verge of running 
on the rocks, though really the ocean is here fully four miles 
deep. The origin of the weed is not known, but the mass 
was once presumably attached to rocks, though it is now 
propagated as it floats on the surface. In colour it is 
yellow, and it supports fish, crabs, cuttlefish, zoophytes, 
and molluscs, but owing to the pace of the ship it is not 
easy to get any satisfactory specimens of it on board. 
Whales are now occasionally sighted, and the flying fish 
become a constant source of interest. With the sun 
glinting on their silvery wings, they look like dragon-flies 
as they leap round the bows of the ship. That they 
actually fly cannot be denied, but their flight appears to be 
like that of the now old-fashioned " glider " flying-machine, 
requiring some considerable impetus to give it a start ; and 
this is soon expended. The fish forces its way through the 
water, and, rising from it, is carried forward and skims the 
surface, gaining momentum each time it touches the waves. 
The size of the fish is that of a small herring ; and there 
are always many old travellers who will tell one how they 
have seen them fly on board the ship, though really this 
can only occur on sailing ships whose gunwale is near the 
water — as described by Jeaffreson in 1676 {see page 36) — 
unless, perhaps, the fish with unerring aim flies gaily through 
the port-hole. 

The first sight of the island of Barbados is, as a rule, 
obtained overnight, when the Ragged Point light is seen 
blinking on the starboard bow, and Carlisle Bay is generally 
reached in the early morning, as the sun rises over a scene 
of considerable animation. The novelty of the surroundings 
will never be forgotten. A string of lighters emerges 
from the harbour and bears down upon the steamer to land 



GENERAL INFORMATION 35 

or tranship baggage. Boatmen jostle each other about 
the gangways, while woolly-haired diving boys of every 
shade of colour paddle about in rude home-made boats 
soliciting coins, which they retrieve from the water with 
remarkable skill and agility. Some of the more daring of 
the boys will, for a piece of silver, dive under the steamer 
and come up the other side. 

The steamers of Elders and Fyffes Ltd., which have 
succeeded those of the subsidised Imperial Direct West 
India Mail Service, now proceed to Jamaica direct, 
reaching Kingston in from ten to eleven days. 

The voyage from Canada or the United States is naturally 
a much shorter one. Though one sometimes feels the heat 
far more in New York than in the West Indies, the change of 
climate is as a rule far more sudden by this route than when 
one follows the advice of the old sea-captain and steams 
" south till the butter melts and then due west." From 
Canada St. Kitts is reached in eight days ; and from the 
United States to the Bahamas is a run of three days only, 
and to Jamaica one of four days. The route usually 
followed from northern ports to Jamaica is past Watling's 
Island and through the Crooked Island and Windward 
Passages (see map). Steamers for the Lesser Antilles keep 
well out in the Atlantic. If the steamer arrives at Jamaica, 
as she generally does, at dawn, it well repays one to be on 
deck very early to see the sun rise over the glorious Blue 
Mountains, putting to shame the blinking light of the light- 
house at Plum Point. 

The difference of a voyage under modern conditions from 
one in the old days has often been emphasised, and tourists 
who are lucky enough to be able to obtain copies of Monk 
Lewis' "Journal" or Jeaffreson's "Young Squire of the 
Seventeenth Century" may sit in comfort in their deck 
chairs as the steamer forges her way along at a speed of 
from fifteen to nineteen knots and read of the discomforts 
with which their forbears had to put up. Jeaffreson took 
leave of his friends at Billingsgate, was rowed down to 
Gravesend on February 16, 1675-6, and went aboard the 
" Jacob and Mary, a vessell of about a hundred and fifty 
tunns, 14 or 16 gunns, and a square stearne." This was 



36 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

on Thursday, and on Sunday she anchored in the Downs", 
" where we went ashoar ; but the wind in two or three dayes 
promessing faire," she proceeded on her way, only to put in 
at Plymouth on the following Saturday, the 26th, " the 
windes being contrary," and compelling them to ride at 
anchor for " tenne dayes." On March 6, "the winde 
comeing about to the north-east," they " again hoisted 
sayle and stood out to sea. . . . The tenth day it blew hard 
which made a verry rough and hollow sea, which raked us 
fore and aft, breakeing sometymes over our quarter ; in 
which great seas, our shipp's crew concluded, that our little 
leakie companion " (a small vessel which had been keeping 
up with them), " was buried." Off the islands called 
" the deserts," a sail was sighted which " we doubted was 
a Turke " ; and " made us putt ourselves in a posture of 
defence, and the next morning, flndeing that he had chased 
us all night ... we prepared all things for a fight, arid 
continued in that posture all the day and night." On 
arriving at Madeira they were " verry neare losing our shippe, 
the master being unacquainted, and comeing too boldely in 
near the shoar, in a daingerous place." On Tuesday, the 
1 8th, they crossed the Tropic of Cancer, and were much 
diverted by the flying fish, " which, though common at sea, 
may be a subject of wonder to such as are home-bred . . . 
they fly in whole shoales, but not very farre, for no sooner 
are theire wings dry, but they drop into theire element, the 
water. It is usual for them to fly into the shipps. We 
had one or two come on board our vessell." On Monday, 
May 8th, the island of Deseada was sighted, " which was a 
welcome sight to us, who were forced to keepe the pump 
goeing night and day, by reason of a dangerous leake we had 
sprung at sea, which we could not finde, and which in- 
creasing would have soone beene too much for us, if bad 
weather had kept us at sea." The vessel did not finally 
reach Nevis until Sunday, May 21, and from thence Mr. 
Jeaffreson sailed in a " shalloope, and with my goods and 
servants arrived that night at St. Christopher's," more than 
three months after his departure from London ! Nowadays 
the conditions are very different, and the voyage seems over 
all too soon. 



GENERAL INFORMATION 



37 



THE TIME. For those who are making their first voyage 
the table of watches on board ship, which is given below, 
will be useful. 

At the conclusion of each half -hour of the watch the ship's 
beT is sounded ; once for the first half -hour, twice for the 
second, and so on, until " eight bells " is sounded. The 
two short dog watches were arranged to make the total 
number of watches seven and so obviate the two companies 
into which the crew is divided being on the same watch 
on successive nights. 

The sun rises over London some four or five hours 
before it rises over the West Indies, and so, going west, 



Middle Watch. 


Forenoon Watch. 


ist Dog 


Watch. 


Midnight 


8 bells. 


8.0 a.m. 8 bells. 


4.O P.M. 


8 bells. 


12.30 A.M 


1 >> 


8.30 „ 1 „ 


4.30 „ 


1 ,, 


1.0 


2 ,, 


9.0 ,, 2 


, 


5-o „ 


2 ,, 


1.30 „ 


3 M 


9-30 >. 3 


, 


5-30 „ 


3 .. 


2.0 


4 .. 


10.0 ,, 4 


, 


6.0 ,, 


4 .. 


2.30 ,, 
3-o „ 


5 ,. 

6 ,, 


10.30 ,, 5 
11.0 ,, 6 


1 


2nd Dog Watch. 


3-30 ,. 


7 ». 


11-30 .. 7 




6.3O P.M. 


1 bells. 


4-o „ 


8 M 


Noon 8 


, 


7-o „ 


2 ,, 








7-30 „ 


3 .. 








8.0 ,, 


8 „ 


Morning 


Watch. 


Afternoon Watch. 


Evening 


Watch. 


4.0 A.M. 


8 bells. 


Noon . 8 bells. 


8.0 P.M. 


8 bells. 


4-30 ., 


1 .. 


12.30 P.M. 1 


8.30 


,, 


1 .» 


5.0 „ 


2 


, 


1.0 ,, 2 ,, 


9.0 


, 


2 


, 


5-30 „ 


3 


» 


1.30 „ 3 .» 


9-30 


, 


3 


, 


6.0 ,, 


4 


, 


2.0 „ 4 ,, 


10. 


, 


4 


, 


6.30 ,, 


5 


, 


2.30 „ 5 M 


10.30 


, 


5 


, 


7-o „ 


6 


, 


30 ,, 6 ,, 


11.0 


, 


6 


, 


7-30 „ 


7 


, 


3-30 „ 7 „ 


11.30 


, 


7 


, 


8.0 „ 


8 


' 


4.0 ,, 8 „ 


Midnight 


8 


» 



the hands of the clock have to be put back every day, 
while on the eastern voyage they are put forward. The 
time is checked at midday from the position of the sun by 
means of the sextant. When the weather is too cloudy 
for observations the position of the ship is defined by what 
is callecl "dead reckoning," that is to say, a calculation 



38 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

based on the distance traversed since the last reckoning 
was made. The actual difference of solar time in the West 
Indies compared with that in London is given below ; but 
since 191 1 standard time has been adopted in the British 
West Indies. In the Lesser Antilles this is 4 hours, in the 
Bahamas and Jamaica 5 hours, and in British Honduras 
6 hours slow of Greenwich. Thus when it is noon in 
London it is 8 a.m. in Barbados and 7 a.m. in Jamaica. 
Barbados . . .3 hrs. 58 min. 29 sec. earlier. 



Demerara . 
Jamaica 
St. Thomas 
Trinidad . 



3 ., 54 .. — 

5 hrs. 6 min. — earlier. 

4 ,. 19 ». 43 
4 .» 6 ,, — 



The difference of time as compared with that of New York 
may be gauged from the fact that the time in New York is 
4 hrs. 56 min. and 2 sees, earlier than that of London. 

TABLES OF DISTANCES. In the following tables the 
distances in miles on several of the principal steamer routes 
are given. 

TRANSATLANTIC MAIL ROUTE 
Southampton 



84 I Cherbourg 



3713 I 3629 J Barbados 



3916 J 3832 I 203 j Trinidad 



4781 I 4697 I 1068 1 865 I Puerto Colombia 



4863 I 4779 I 1 1 50 1 947 1 82 I Cartagena 



5144 I 5060 1 1431 j 1228 I 363 1 281 j Colon 



5704 I 5620 1 1991 I 1788 j 923 | 841 I 560 I Jamaica 



6049 I 5965 I 2336 I 2133 I-1268 | 1186 1 905 I 345 I Cuba 



7279 I 719 5 I 3566 j 3363 1 2498 1 2416 I 2135 I 1575 I 1230 j New 
— — York 

INTERCOLONIAL MAIL ROUTE 
Trini dad 
96 I Grenada 



173 I 77 I St. Vincent 



233 I 1 37 I 60 1 St. Lucia 



316 I 220 I 143 I 83 j Dominica 



425 I 329 I 252 I 192 I 109 I Montserrat 



462 j 366 1 289 1 229 1 146 j 37 I Antigua 



511 I 415 I 338 I 278 I 195 1 86 1 49 I Nevis 



522 j 426 j 349 I 289 I 206 1 97 I 60 1 1 1 I St. Kitts 



GENERAL INFORMATION 39 

ST MAIL ROUTE BAHAMAS AS 

RICO 

St. John, N.B. New York 



CANADIAN MAIL ROUTE BAHAMAS AND PORTO 

RICO 



283 1 Halifa x | 967 | Bahamas 

1043 | 760 | Bermuda Florida 



1968 I 1685 I 925 I St. Kitts I 187 I Bahamas 

For distances beyond St« Kitts see New Y ork 

tables on preceding page | 13 80 | Porto Rico 

LA GUAIRA, DEMERARA AND BERMUDA ROUTES 

Trini dad Trini dad 

105 [ Carupano I360 | Demerara 



145 I 40 I Pampatar New Y ork 

351 I 246 I 206 I La Guaira 1 700 | Bermuda 

CUSTOMS. Personal baggage is exempt from duty in 
the West Indies, and the customs officials in British Guiana, 
British Honduras, and all the islands, whatever their 
nationality may be, are courteous and considerate. There 
is unfortunately a remarkable absence of uniformity about 
the customs' duties, each island having its own tariff, which 
includes specific duties on certain articles, and a general 
ad valorem duty — that is to say, a duty of a certain fixed 
sum per ^100 value — with an extensive free list. In 1913 
a preferential tariff in favour of Great Britain and Canada 
was introduced in the British West Indies with the exception 
of Jamaica and the Bahamas, to meet the requirements of 
a reciprocal trade agreement with the Dominion. Under 
this agreement a certain number of articles if imported 
from Great Britain or Canada enjoy a preference of 20 per 
cent, in the British West Indian islands (the Bahamas and 
Jamaica excepted) and in British Guiana. There is, how- 
ever, no need to give the tariffs, as genuine tourists are not 
troubled by the customs authorities, and the regulations 
are by no means so strict as they are at the most lax Custom 
House on the Continent. Such articles as tobacco, in any 
quantity, and also spirits in bulk, are dutiable ; but 
excellent cigars can be got in the West Indies, and the 
spirits are best left behind. 

TELEGRAMS. British Guiana, and every West Indian 
island of importance, with the exception of Nevis, Mont- 



40 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

serrat, the Virgin Islands, and Tobago, are in telegraphic 
communication with the outside world by the cables of the 
West India and Panama Telegraph Company Ltd. (Spencer 
House, South Place, London), and the Direct West India 
Cable Company Ltd. (33 Old Broad Street, London), the 
last-named having a cable between Bermuda, Turks 
Islands, and Jamaica working in conjunction with a cable 
between Halifax, N.S., and Bermuda. And systems of 
wireless have been established at New Providence in the 
Bahamas ; Bridgetown, Barbados ; Port of Spain, Trinidad ; 
Scarborough, Tobago ; and Georgetown, British Guiana. 
Between Grenada and Carriacou, and Antigua and Mont- 
serrat, communication is maintained by means of the 
heliograph. Telegrams by Direct West India Cable 
Company should be marked on the address " via Bermuda," 
for which additional words no charge is made. This 
Company has a wireless station at Bowden, Jamaica. 
Arrangements have been made by the Imperial Government 
and the Governments of Canada and the West Indian 
Colonies for the reduction of charges to a uniform rate 
of 2s. 6d. per word between the United Kingdom and the 
British West Indies, and 15. 6d. between Canada and the 
British West Indies, and also for the reduction of inter- 
colonial rates . D ef erred messages are accepted at half rates . 
POSTAL FACILITIES. There is mail communication 
with the United Kingdom fortnightly by the steamers of 
the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, and in the case of 
Jamaica by those of Elders and Fyffes Ltd. There are also 
frequent opportunities for posting by private ships, letters 
in this case being marked "pers.s. " or "per first oppor- 
tunity " ; but as a general rule it is best to adhere to the 
regular mail steamers. The prepaid rate of postage on letters 
from the United Kingdom to the British West Indies, and 
vice versa, is id. per oz., and to foreign possessions i\d. for the 
first ounce and i\d. for each extra ounce or fraction thereof. 
On postcards the rate is id. each, and on papers \d. per 2 oz., 
whatever the destination may be. The left-hand half of the 
address side of postcards as well as the back may be used 
for written communications. With Canada and the United 
States there is also frequent mail communication. 



GENERAL INFORMATION 



4i 



Express Letters and C.O.D. Service. In Bermuda, the 
Bahamas, British Honduras, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent, 
and Trinidad, letters are accepted for express delivery in the 
United Kingdom, the full fee of id. being collected from the 
addressee ; but if express delivery is required to be made from 
the G.P.O. or from the head district office in London at an address 
outside the ordinary delivery of such office, or beyond a distance 
of one mile from the local post office in the provinces, the charge 
is id. per mile. Parcels from the same places will be delivered 
express in the United Kingdom within the usual limits of 
ordinary parcel delivery for a special fee of $d. prepaid. A 
" Cash on Delivery " or C.O.D. postal service recently established 
between the principal islands and the United Kingdom has proved 
a great convenience. 

Parcel Post. The rates for Parcel Post from the United 
Kingdom to Bermuda and the British West Indies are : 



Limit of Size. 



Not exceeding 
3 lb. 7 lb. 11 lb. 

IS. 2S. 3s. 



Length, Breadth, 

or Depth. 

3ift. 

To foreign possessions the rates are : 



Length and Girth 

combined. 

6 ft. 



Limit of Size. 



Cuba 

Guadeloupe or\ 

Martinique / 

St. Thomas, &c. 



Length, 
Breadth, or 
Not exceeding Depth. 
3 lb. 7 lb. 11 lb. 
2S. 2d. 2S. nd. is. id. 2 ft. 
2S.2d. 2S.6d. 2S. lod. 2 ft. 

3! ft. 



25. 



3S. 



4s. 



Length and 

Girth 
combined. 

4 ft. 
4 ft. 
6 ft. 



Parcels are subject to customs regulations, and an accurate 
statement of the nature and value of the contents and other 
particulars has to be made. 

Money Orders. Money Orders may be sent to the British, 
Danish and Dutch West Indies, and also to Cuba and Porto 
Rico, payment in the latter case being advised through New 
York and paid in dollars and cents (£1 = $4 87 cents). The 
poundage fees range from id. for sums not exceeding £1 to $s. id. 
for sums over ^38 but not exceeding £40. The limit trans- 
missible is ^40 to the British, Danish and Dutch West Indies, 
and ^20 to Cuba and Porto Rico. Orders must be taken out a 
full day before the departure of the mail. When, however, 
application is made too late, the advice can be telegraphed for 
6d., with supplementary fee of 6d. for each order. 

Postal Orders. British Postal Orders are now issued and 
paid in Barbados, British Guiana, British Honduras, Grenada, 



42 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Tobago, Trinidad, the Leeward 
Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands. The poundage varies 
from \d. for an order for 6d. to i\d. for one for 21s. 

POPULATION. The population of the West Indies, taken 
as a whole, is of a very cosmopolitan character, including 
as it does Negroes, East Indians, Chinese, Corsicans, and 
Portuguese ; besides the English, Spanish, French, Dutch, 
and Danish colonists and their descendants, and latterly, 
too, Americans. The larger islands — Cuba, Santo Domingo, 
and Jamaica — appear to have been inhabited at the time 
of their discovery by a gentle and timid race, the Arouagues 
or Arawaks, while the smaller islands were peopled by the 
Charaibes or Caribs, who arrived from unknown parts in 
fleets of canoes. The Arawaks were soon exterminated ; 
but the Caribs were for very many years a source of trouble. 
Even now there are many families of pure-blooded Caribs 
in Dominica and a few also in St. Vincent, where nearly 
all the remaining people of this race in the island lost their 
lives during the eruption of the Soufriere in 1902. Happily 
the Caribs have now lost their warlike propensities, and are 
desirable members of the communities of which they form 
part. In British Guiana there are still many aboriginal 
Indians, including the Arawaks, the Macusis, the Arecunas, 
and the Ackawois. Soon after the European occupation of 
the islands the want of labour began to be felt severely, and 
the system of slavery, which was inaugurated by the 
Portuguese as early as 1481, was adopted by Spain for the 
West Indies, the first slaves being imported by the Spaniards 
to work in the mines of Hispaniola before the year 1503. 
The monopoly of the slave trade was given by Charles V 
to a Flemish courtier in 151 7, from whom it passed to 
Genoese merchants, and then to the Portuguese. Sir John 
Hawkins began slave trading in 1562, and Sir Francis 
Drake followed in 1 568 . At the end of the sixteenth century 
the Dutch took up the trade, and in 1662 and 1672 English 
" African Companies " were formed to introduce slaves. 
In 1688 the African slave trade was thrown open to all 
British subjects, and at the end of the seventeenth century 
25,000 negroes were annually imported in British ships 
into the British colonies. In 171 3 the English obtained 



GENERAL INFORMATION 43 

the famous Assiento or contract to supply Spanish America 
with slaves. The South Sea Company who got it were 
pledged to pay duty for every slave imported by them into 
the Spanish West Indies and it was arranged that the 
King of Spain should receive one fourth of the net gains. 
This monopoly did not pay, and a claim for £68,000 pre- 
ferred against the English Company by the King of Spain 
in 1739 led to war, and though, by the treaty of Aix-la- 
Chapelle in 1748, the agreement was renewed for four 
years, it was finally annulled in 1750 on the payment by 
Spain of £100,000 as compensation. 

The agitation against the slave trade began in earnest 
towards the latter part of the eighteenth century, the first 
motion against it being made in the British Parliament in 
1776. The Society for the Suppression of the Slave Trade 
was founded in 1787, and in the succeeding years an active 
campaign was carried on by Wilberforce, Clarkson, and 
others, with the result that in 1807, at the instance of Lord 
Grenville, the Act was passed for the abolition of the trade. 
Slavery still continued ; but in 1834 this too was abolished. 
By the famous Act which received the Royal assent on 
August 28, 1833, it was decided that all the slaves in the 
British colonies were to become free on August 1, 1834, 
but were to be apprenticed to their former owners until 
1838, and in the case of agricultural labourers until 1840 ; 
while £20,000,000 was voted as compensation to the slave 
owners at the Cape, in Mauritius, and in the West Indies, 
the proportion allotted to the latter colonies being 
£16,640,000, a figure which fell short of the value of the 
slaves as appraised by the Commissioners by £26,460,000. 
The capital invested in land, cultivation, buildings, and 
machinery upon the estates on which slaves were located 
could not have been less than £80,000,000. Antigua and 
also Bermuda dispensed with the apprenticeship system 
altogether, and it was in no case continued after 1838. 
Slavery was abolished in the French colonies in 1848, in 
the Dutch West Indies in 1863, in Porto Rico in 1873, and 
in St. Thomas in 1876. The slaves were gradually eman- 
cipated in Cuba by an Act of the Spanish Senate of December 
24, 1879, which took effect on February 18, 1880, and the 



44 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

total abolition of slavery in that island was brought about 
by a decree dated October 6, 1886, 

After the total abolition of slavery in the British colonies, 
the question of labour once again became acute, and efforts 
were made to supply the deficiency with free labourers 
from Havana, St. Helena, Rio, and Sierra Leone, but they 
were not permanently satisfactory. In 1838 East Indian 
immigration, which began in the preceding year, was pro- 
hibited. But the ban was removed in 1845 when the 
introduction of East Indians to British Guiana and Trinidad 
under indenture was begun. It has continued annually 
— with the exception of 1849-50 — ever since, under the con- 
trol of the Home and Indian Governments. Similar immi- 
gration to Jamaica began in 1845, an ^ to St. Lucia in 1859 ; 
but the introduction of East Indians into the two latter 
islands has been of an intermittent nature, and the only 
colonies now receiving them regularly are British Guiana 
and Trinidad, though Jamaica receives shipments from 
time to time. 

Any visitor particularly interested in this matter should 
study the immigration ordinances of British Guiana and 
Trinidad, which were published as a British Blue-book in 
1904 [Cd. 1989]. It suffices here to say that the main 
features of the system are that the East Indians are recruited 
by Emigration Agents, whose headquarters are at Calcutta. 
The immigrants are under agreement to serve their employers 
for five years at a wage of is. i%d. per day for able-bodied 
adults, and 8d. per day for those who do not fall under this 
category. All of those who arrived in the colony before 
August 5, 1898, are entitled to a return passage to India on 
payment of one fourth of the passage money in the case of 
males and one-sixth in the case of females ; and, after ten 
years' residence in the colony, immigrants are entitled to 
their return passage on paying one-half the fare in the case 
of males and one-third in the case of females, the balance 
being paid by the planter. As a matter of fact, the East 
Indians are so happy and contented in the West Indies that 
the proportion availing themselves of the return passage is 
very small, especially since the practice was initiated of 
giving them land and other privileges in lieu of back 



GENERAL INFORMATION 45 

passage, and many of those who do return to India soon 
find their way back to the West Indies again. The ordi- 
nances contain elaborate provisions for the welfare of the 
immigrants, and in the colonies employing East Indians 
there are Protectors of Immigrants to see that the law is 
carried out. Surgeon-Major D. W.D. Comins, who was sent 
by the Indian Government to the West Indies to report on 
the system, declared in 1893 that " as regards the general 
arrangements made for Indian immigrants, I have nothing 
but admiration to express. The system has passed through 
successive stages of improvement, until it now stands a pat- 
tern to all the world of successful and liberal management. 
Of all the colonies in the West Indies, Trinidad is the favoured 
home of the coolie settler, where he can easily and rapidly 
attain comfortable independence and even considerable 
wealth with corresponding social position." East Indian 
Immigration was the subject of inquiry by a Committee 
under the chairmanship of Lord Sanderson in 1909, and 
those requiring further information on the subject would 
be well advised to peruse the report (Blue-book [Cd. 
5192]), which bears striking testimony to the value of the 
system. 

In 1853, Chinese were introduced into British Guiana and 
Trinidad, and in 1854 some also arrived in Jamaica. In 
1867 their importation was discontinued, owing to the 
Chinese Government insisting upon a return passage being 
conceded. Still, another shipload reached British Guiana 
in 1874. Many Chinese remain in the colony, where they 
are closely connected with the retail trade. 

With regard to the white population, the brief histories 
of the various colonies which are given on subsequent pages 
will sufficiently indicate its origin. In the days of slavery 
each slave owner was compelled to employ a certain number 
of white servants to serve in the militia, and these men 
helped to swell the population, while Oliver Cromwell sent 
out many Irish prisoners, notably to Nevis and Montserrat ; 
and Barbados received a large influx of Royalists at the 
time of the Commonwealth. Many English gentlemen, 
Royalist officers and divines, were sent out to the island 
and sold as slaves, and it is on record that a number changed 



46 Pocket guide to The West indies 

hands at a cost of 1500 lb. of sugar per man ! Their 
descendants, known as " mean whites " and "red legs," are 
still found there. At the close of the American Revolution 
many loyalists emigrated from America to the West Indies 
with their slaves. Jamaica and the Bahamas were particu- 
larly favoured, and it is estimated that the latter islands 
gained between 6000 and 7000 inhabitants between June 
1783 and April 1785 from this source. Even the ubiquitous 
Teuton is not omitted from the list of those who have 
helped to populate the islands, for in 1840 Mr, King 
imported twenty-nine Germans into St. Lucia, while 
Syrians are also found in Jamaica and several other 
islands. They go out at their own expense and become 
pedlars, many of them amassing considerable sums of 
money. In Cuba the white population consists mainly of 
descendants of old Spanish families and immigrants from 
Spain who still flock to the island. There is also a con- 
siderable American population, while in Porto Rico 
Americans have settled in great numbers in recent 
years. 

In conclusion, a word may be added about the term 
" Creole," which is often believed by those who have 
not visited the West Indies to apply to people of coloured 
descent. This is not the case. A Creole is any one actually 
born in the West Indies. Thus, a child born of white 
parents in the West Indies is a Creole. The term is even 
applied to animals, and it is by no means unusual to speak 
of a Creole cow or a Creole dog, while even agricultural 
produce is not excluded, and maize grown in a particular 
island may be referred to as Creole corn ! 

RELIGION. To whatever sect they may belong visitors 
will find their religious wants fully provided for. Jamaica, 
Barbados, British Guiana, the Windward Islands and the 
Leeward Islands are dioceses of the Church of England. 
In Jamaica the Church of England was established in 1662, 
but in 1870 a law was passed providing for its gradual dis- 
endowment, and it is now practically self sup porting, with 
capital funds amounting to ^60,000. The Baptists and 
Wesleyans are the next sects in importance in order of the 
size of their congregations. Presbyterians and Moravians 



GENERAL INFORMATION 4; 

have a large following, while there are also Roman Catholics 
and Jews in the island. In Barbados the majority of the 
inhabitants belong to the Church of England, which is 
endowed from the general revenue. The island is the see 
of a bishop, in which is included the Windward Islands also. 
Small Government grants are given to the Wesley ans and 
Moravians, and also to the Roman Catholics, who are, 
however, few in number. The Leeward Islands also form 
the see of a bishop of the Church of England, whose 
principal followers are in Antigua and St. Kitts, while in 
Montserrat the inhabitants are largely Anglicans and 
Wesleyans. In Dominica the inhabitants are principally 
Roman Catholics, whose bishop resides at Roseau in that 
island. The inhabitants of the Virgin Islands are mainly 
Wesleyans. In St. Lucia the Roman Catholics largely 
predominate, and their church is supported out of the 
general revenue of the colony. In St. Vincent, where the 
Church of England was disendowed in 1889, one half of the 
population are members of the Church of England and one 
third Wesleyans, while in Grenada one half are Roman 
Catholics and one third members of the now disestablished 
Church of England. In Trinidad the Roman Catholics are 
by far the most numerous sect. The Archbishop of Port 
of Spain resides in that island. 

The hours of holy worship differ in no way from those 
adopted at home. The churches are well ventilated, and 
compare favourably in this respect with many in European 
cities. 

FREEMASONRY. Freemasonry is largely practised in the 
British West Indies, and lodges exist in all the large islands 
and most of the smaller. In Barbados there is a District 
Grand Lodge, which has jurisdiction over six Craft Lodges. 
Mark Masonry is also represented by a District Grand 
Lodge, controlling three Mark Lodges. The Scotia Lodge 
has a Royal Arch Chapter attached to it, and there is 
a Rose Croix Chapter. Scottish Masonry is strongly 
represented in Trinidad, there being no fewer than four 
Craft Lodges, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge 
of Scotland, four Royal Arch Chapters, one Rose Croix 
Chapter, one Consistory, one Preceptory of Knights 



48 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Templar, with a Priory of the Knights of Malta. English 
Masonry is represented by three Craft Lodges . Freemasonry 
was dormant in St. Lucia until 1899, when a lodge under 
the Grand Lodge of England was formed. Grenada has 
the Lodge St. George, No. 3072 on the register of the 
Grand Lodge of England. Jamaica possesses, under the 
English constitution, a District Grand Lodge, with eleven 
Craft Lodges under its jurisdiction. There is also one 
Craft Lodge in direct communication with the Grand 
Lodge of England. English Royal Arch Masonry is also 
represented by a District Grand Chapter and four Chapters 
attached to Craft Lodges. One Preceptory of Knights 
Templar and two Rose Croix Chapters also represent the 
higher degrees of English Masonry. A Provincial Grand 
Mark Masons' Lodge governs four Mark Masons' Lodges. 
In Scottish Masonry there is a District Grand Lodge, five 
Craft Lodges, one Royal Arch Chapter, and five Mark 
Lodges. British Guiana possesses a District Grand Lodge 
under the English constitution, with five Craft Lodges, 
one Royal Arch Chapter, a Rose Croix Chapter, and a 
Preceptory of the Knights Templar, with a Priory of the 
Knights of Malta attached. There is also one Craft Lodge 
under the Scotch constitution. Antigua has two Craft 
Lodges under the Grand Lodge of England, one Mark 
Masons' Lodge, a Rose Croix Chapter, and a Royal Arch 
Chapter. In St. Kitts there is a Craft Lodge working 
under the Scotch constitution. There are also lodges 
in St. Thomas (356), Curacoa (653), Turks Islands (647), 
and at Nassau in the Bahamas (443). It will thus be 
seen that Freemasonry is strongly represented in the West 
Indies. Much of this masonic spirit may be traced to the 
military occupation of those islands, while the register 
numbers of three lodges in Jamaica, 207, 239 and 354, 
two in Demerara, 247 and 385, and one in Barbados, 196, 
under the English constitution, show their antiquity. 
Masonic visitors are, of course, welcomed at these lodges 
in true masonic spirit. 

LANGUAGE. It may seem superfluous to add a paragraph 
regarding language, but the writer is prompted to do so 
by the many inquiries he has received from intending 



GENERAL INFORMATION 49 

visitors to the West Indies, who seem to think that the 
islands are peopled by savages speaking unknown tongues. 
On the contrary, the inhabitants are mostly English- 
speaking. The mode of speech attributed to them in 
books, such as " massa " for " Master," &c, does not really 
adequately describe their style, which owes its piquancy to 
a drawling and sing-song method of delivery, accentuated 
to a marked degree in Barbados, where even many of the 
whites are infected with it. In the islands which have been 
in the possession of France, such as Dominica and St. Lucia, 
the negroes speak a rather bewildering French patois, 
though they understand French. A peculiarity in Mont- 
serrat is the Irish brogue which the negroes acquired from 
the Irish who were sent to the island by Oliver Cromwell. 
It still remains a marked characteristic of their speech. 
In the little island of Saba there is a somewhat similar 
peculiarity of speech, the inhabitants speaking with dis- 
tinct Somersetshire and Devonshire accents. In Trinidad, 
French and Spanish are much spoken by the wealthier classes, 
and of course a knowledge of these languages enhances the 
pleasure of a visit to Cuba, Porto Rico and the Spanish Main. 
THE LAUNDRY. Jane Anne Smith, the buxom black 
laundress who used to salute passengers on their arrival at 
Barbados, taking from them their " washing " and selling 
to them her famous Barbados hot sauce is — alas ! — no 
more ; but she has many imitators. Some are good and 
others exceedingly bad. It behoves tourists therefore to 
make the closest inquiries before submitting their garments 
to them. In most of the islands the laundry work is good 
and the hotels are in touch with the best artistes. In 
British Guiana the Chinese undertake washing with the 
usual satisfactory results. They are past masters in the 
art of cleansing clothes. 

BOOKS ON THE WEST INDIES. It adds immensely 
to the pleasures of travel to know the history of the places 
visited. The more it is studied beforehand, the more 
fascinating and enjoyable does the tour become. Many 
books have been written about the West Indies ; but most 
of the older works are now, unfortunately, out of print. 
They can, however, generally be seen at the West India 



50 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Committee Rooms, the Royal Colonial Institute, or the 
British Museum. The following list includes the volumes 
which should prove most useful and interesting to those 
contemplating a visit to the West Indies. 

General 

" Nouveau Voyage aux lies de l'Amerique." * By Pere Labat, 
1722. 

"The History, Civil and Commercial, of the British Colonies in 
the West Indies." * By Bryan Edwards, 1793. 

"Chronological History of the West Indies."* 3 vols. By 
Capt. Thomas Southey, 1827. 

"A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus." * 
By Washington Irving. London : Cassell and Company Ltd., 1 828. 

" The West Indies and the Spanish Main." * By Anthony 
Trollope. London : Chapman and Hall, 1859. 

" The Cruise of H.M.S. Bacchante 1879-1882." By Prince 
Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales. London : Macmillan 
and Co., 1886. 

" The English in the West Indies, or the Bow of Ulysses."* 
By J. A. Froude. London : Longmans, Green and Co., 1888. 

" History of the Buccaneers of America." By J. Esquemeling, 
1684. London: Sonnenschein, 1893. 

" Down the Islands." * By W. A. Paton. London: Kegan 
Paul, Trench and Co., 1888. 

"The West Indies."* By C. W. Eves. London: Sampson 
Low and Co. Ltd., 1889 (4th edition, 1897). 

" A Historical Geography of the British Colonies. Vol. II. 
The West Indies." By C. P. Lucas. Oxford : Clarendon 
Press, 1890 (2nd ed,, revised by C. Atchley, I.S.O., 1905). 

" In Sugar-Cane Land." * By Eden Phillpotts. London : 
McClure and Co., 1893. 

" The Cradle of the Deep." By Sir Frederick Treves, G.C.V.O. 
London : Smith Elder, 1908. 

" The British West Indies. Their History, Resources and 
Progress." By Algernon E. Aspinall. London : Sir Isaac 
Pitman and Sons, 1912. 

" West Indian Tales of Old." By Algernon E. Aspinall. 
London : Duckworth and Co., 191 2. 

" West Indies and Guiana." Six lectures written for the Visual 
Instruction Committee of the Colonial Office. By Algernon 
Aspinall. London, 1914. 

"The Colonial Office List." London: Waterlow and Son 
Ltd. (annual). 

" General Information for Intending Settlers." The Emi- 
grants' Information Office, 31 Broadway, Westminster. 

* Out of print, but can be seen at various libraries. 



GENERAL INFORMATION 51 

Bahamas 
" Sketches of Summerland." By G. J. H. Northcroft. 191 2. 
" The Land of the Pink Pearl." By L. D. Powles, 1888. 

Barbados 

" History of Barbados." * By Sir Robert H. Schomburgk. 
London : 1848. 

" An Account of a West Indian Sanatorium." * By Geo. J. H. 
Sutton Moxly. London : Sampson Low, Marston and Co., 
1886. 

" Cavaliers and Roundheads in Barbados."* By N. Darnell 
Davis. Georgetown, British Guiana, 1887. 

"Annals of Codrington College." By T. H. Bindley, D.D. 
London : The West India Committee, 1910. 

" The Barbados Handbook." By E. Goulburn Sinckler. 
Published by order of the Legislature. London : Duckworth 
and Co., 1914 (annual). 

Bermuda 

" The Historye of the Bermudaes or Summer Islands." * 
Hakluyt Series, 1882. 

" All About Bermuda." By John J. Bushell. Bermuda : 
The Colonist Building, 1911. 

British Guiana 

"Among the Indians of Guiana."* By E. F. im Thurn. 
London : Kegan Paul, Trench and Co., 1883. 

" Twenty-five Years in British Guiana." * By Henry Kirke. 
London : Sampson Low, Marston and Co., 1898. 

"History of British Guiana." By James Rodway, F.L.S. 
Georgetown, Demerara, 3 vols., 1894. 

" In the Guiana Forest." By James Rodway, F.L.S. London: 
T. Fisher Unwin, 1894 ; second edition, 191 1. 

" Handbook of British Guiana." By George D. Bayley. 
London : Dulau and Co., 1909. 

" The British Guiana Handbook." By Alleyne Leechman. 
Dulau and Co., 191 3. 

" Guiana, British, Dutch and French." By James Rodway, 
F.L.S. London : T. Fisher Unwin, 191 2. 

British Honduras 

" The Colony of British Honduras, its resources and prospects." 
By D. Morris. London: Stanford, 1883. 

The Cayman Islands 
" Handbook of the Cayman Islands." By George S. S. 
Hirst, M.B. Jamaica : Times Printery, 1910. 

* Out of print, but can be seen at various libraries. 
* 



52 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Jamaica 

" The History of Jamaica." * By Long. London, 1774. 

" The Annals of Jamaica." * By G. W. Bridges. London : 
John Murray, 1828. 

" Studies in Jamaica History." By Frank Cundall, F.S.A. 
London : Sampson Low, Marston and Co. Ltd,, 1900. 

"A History of Jamaica." By W. J. Gardner. New edition. 
London : T. Fisher Unwin, 1909. 

" In Jamaica and Cuba." By H. G. de Lisser. Kingston 
(Jamaica) : The Gleaner Co. Ltd. 

" The Handbook of Jamaica." London : Stanford (annual). 

" Jamaica in 1912 : A Handbook of Information for Intending 
Settlers and Visitors." By Frank Cundall, F.S.A. The Insti- 
tute of Jamaica. London : H. Sotheran and Co. 

"Lady Nugent's Journal." Privately published 1839. New 
edition edited by F. Cundall. London : A. and G. Black, 1907. 

Trinidad 

" At Last." By Charles Kingsley. London : Macmillan 
and Co., 1871. 

"Trinidad."* By L. A. A. de Verteuil. London: Cassell 
and Co., 1884 (2nd edition). 

" The Sea Fish of Trinidad." By Harry Vincent. Port of 
Spain, 1910. 

" Trinidad and Tobago Year Book." By J. H. Collens. 
Port of Spain, Trinidad Government Printing Office (annual). 

" The Handbook of Trinidad and Tobago." By Lieut. -Col. 
J. H. Collens, V.D. Port of Spain : Government Printing 
Office, 1 91 2. 

Tobago 

" A History of Tobago." By H. T. Woodcock, 1 867. 

" Handbook of Tobago : Hints to Settlers." By Lieut. -Col. 
J. H. Collens, V.D. Port of Spain : Government Printing 
Office, 1912. 

Grenada 

" The Grenada Handbook, Directory and Almanac." London : 
Wyman and Sons Ltd. (annual). 

St. Lucia 
" St. Lucia." * By Henry H. Breen. London, 1844. 
" Hints to Settlers in St. Lucia." By Edward J. Cameron, 
C.M.G. Barbados : The Imperial Department of Agriculture, 
1911. 

St. Vincent 
" An Historical Account of the Island of St. Vincent." * By 
Charles Shephard, Esq. London: Ridgway and Sons, 1831. 

* Out of print, but can be seen at various libraries. 



GENERAL INFORMATION 53 

" The Guide Book to St. Vincent." By Hon. Mrs. Gideon 
Murray, Kingstown (St. Vincent) 1913. Obtainable at the West 
India Committee Rooms, London. 

" The St. Vincent Handbook, Directory and Almanac." Edited 
by Robert M. Anderson. Kingstown (St. Vincent) : (annual). 

Antigua 

"Antigua and the Antiguans." * London: Saunders and 
Otley, 1844. 

" History of the Island of Antigua." By V. L. Oliver. London : 
Mitchell and Hughes, 1894, 1896 and 1899. 

Dominica 

" The History of the Island of Dominica." * ByT. Atwood, 179 1. 

"Dominica, Illustrated and described." * By the Hon. H. A. 
Alford Nicholls, C.M.G. 

" Dominica, a Fertile Island." By F. Sterns Fadelle. Ob- 
tainable at the West India Committee Rooms, London. 

" Notes on Dominica." By S. Grieve. London : A. and C. 
Black, 1906. 

" Dominica : Hints and Notes to Intending Settlers." By 
His Honour Douglas Young, C.M.G. Obtainable at the West 
India Committee Rooms, London. 

St. Kitts 
"A Young Squire of the Seventeenth Century." * By J. C. 
Jeaffreson. London : 1878. 

Nevis 
" Natural History of Nevis." * By Rev. William Smith. 

Virgin Islands 
" The Virgin Islands, B.W.I." A Handbook of General 
Information. 1912. By D. C. Fishlock. Obtainable at the 
West India Committee Rooms. 

Cuba 

" Cuba Past and Present." By R. Davey. London : 1898. 

" The War in Cuba." By J. B. Atkins. London : 1899. 

" The Rough Riders." By Theodore Roosevelt. London : 
1899. 

Porto Rico 

" Porto Rico : Its Conditions and Possibilities." By W. 
Dinwiddie. London : 1899. 

" Report on the Island of Porto Rico, its Population, &c." 
By H. K. Carroll. Washington. 

Haiti 
" Hayti, or the Black Republic." By Spencer St. John. 
London, 1884. (2nd edition, 1889.) 

* Out of print, but can be seen at various libraries. 



54 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

"Where Black Rules White." By Hesketh Pritchard. 
London : 1900. 

Martinique 

" Two Years in the French West Indies." By Lafcadio Hearn. 
New York and London : Harper and Brothers, 1902. 

" M. Pelee and the Tragedy of Martinique." By A. Heilprin. 
London, 1902. 

Panama 

" The Panama Canal and its Makers." By Vaughan Cornish, 
D.Sc. London : T. Fisher Unwin, 1909. 

" Panama : the Canal, the Country, and the People." By 
Albert Edwards. New York : Macmillan and Co., 191 1. 

" Panama and What it Means." By John Foster Fraser. 
London : Cassell and Co. Ltd., 1913. 

Fiction 
" Tom Cringle's Log." By Michael Scott. 
" The Cruise of the « Midge '." By Michael Scott. 
" Peter Simple." By Captain Marryat. 
"Westward Ho! " By Charles Kingsley. 
" The Conqueror." By Gertrude Atherton. 
" The Gorgeous Isle." By Gertrude Atherton. 
" Gossip of the Caribbees." By W. R. H. Trowbridge. 
" The Wooings of Jezebel Pettifer." By Haldane Macfall. 
London : Simpkin, Marshall and Co. 



CHAPTER IV 
THE BERMUDAS 

" The still vex'd Bermoothes" 

"The Tempest," Shakespeare 

GENERAL ASPECT. The Bermudas or Somers' Islands, 
more popularly known as Bermuda, are not in the West 
Indies ; but so many touring steamers visit them on their 
way to and from the Caribbean Sea that the inclusion of 
an account of them in the present volume requires no 
justification. The Bermudas consist of a group of about 
three hundred small islands lying in the shape of a 
sickle in the Western Atlantic in latitude 32 ° 15' N. and 
longitude 64 51' W., about 580 miles to the east of Cape 
Hatteras, and 667 miles from New York. They are all of 
coral formation, and are described in the report on the 
vogage of H.M.S. Challenger* as a coral atoll '.* situated on 
the summit of a large cone with a wide base, rising from the 
submerged plateau of the Atlantic." Their total estimated 
area is 19 square miles, or less than one- eighth of that of 
Rutland. The principal island, generally known as the 
Main Island, near the centre of which, at the head of a 
deep inlet, Hamilton the capital is situated, is about 
14 miles long and has an average width of about 
1 mile. Next to it in importance is St. George's Island at 
the extreme north-east, with a spacious harbour, on the 
shore of which St. George, the former capital, stands. The 
other islands of consequence are : Ireland Island at the 
north-west, which is entirely given up to the Naval Dock- 

* H.M.S. Challenger was sent by the British Government on 
an extended cruise for exploration with a scientific staff, selected 
by the Royal Society, in December 1872. She returned in 1876. 

55 



56 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

yard, Boaz and Watford, devoted to military depots and 
garrison, and Somerset, Smith's, St. David's, Cooper's 
Nonsuch, Rivers, Ports, and Godets. The entire chain 
from St. George's to Ireland Island is connected by means 
of bridges and causeways, for a distance of 22 miles. The 
Bermudas are almost surrounded by dangerous reefs, the 
approach to the capital being by a long channel, the entrance 
to which is called the "Narrows," extending from St. 
George's Island to Grassy Bay, a sheltered anchorage off 
Ireland Island. The northern coasts of the islands are 
much indented ; but approach to them is dangerous owing 
to the presence of many sunken rocks. The islands have 
no rivers, and though several wells exist the water from 
them is brackish, and the inhabitants are consequently 
dependent upon the rainfall for drinking water. The whole 
chain is comparatively flat, the highest elevation being 
245 ft. only. The islands are divided into nine parishes, 
namely, St. George's, Hamilton, Smith's, Devonshire, 
Pembroke (in which the capital is situated), Paget, Warwick, 
Southampton, and Sandys. The total population is 20,000, 
of which one-third is white, the remainder being coloured. 

Bermuda is now the headquarters of the West Atlantic 
Squadron. Until 1904 there were about ten cruisers and 
other vessels on the North American station, the flag 
officer of which had the status of a Commander-in-Chief. 
In the redistribution of that year, most of these ships were 
withdrawn and their places taken by training ships of the 
Particular Service Squadron, of which the Commander-in- 
Chief took charge. In 1907, on a change of flag officers, 
the new admiral ceased to be a Commander-in-Chief, and 
the squadron was no longer designated " for Particular 
Service," while in 1909, it ceased to be associated with the 
North American station in name, and became simply the 
Fourth Cruiser Squadron. This was replaced in 191 3 by 
the West Atlantic Squadron. 

INDUSTRIES. The early settlers in the Bermudas were 
planters, and the inhabitants followed agricultural pursuits 
until the abrogation of the charter of the Somer Islands 
Company in 1684 (see page 59), when they took to trading 
and piracy. In vessels made of the native cedar, they 



THE BERMUDAS 57 

traded with the West Indies and America, and carried salt 
fish from Newfoundland to Europe, returning with cargoes 
of port wine. On occasions, too, they would meet the 
fleets from India and carry the produce of the East to the 
West Indies. This industry was, however, practically 
killed by the advent of steam, and the inhabitants then 
had to look about for other means of employment. Colonel 
William Reid, the Governor at this critical period, solved 
the difficulty to some extent by calling attention to the 
agricultural possibilities of the Bermudas, and now, though 
only one-quarter of their area is suitable to cultivation, 
the islands yield crops of potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and 
other vegetables which find a ready market in the United 
States in the months when those products are not in season 
in America. The Bermudas might indeed be described as 
the Market Garden of the United States. Within the last 
twenty or thirty years a lily bulb industry has also been 
developed with success, thanks to the efforts of General 
Russell Hastings, and large quantities of the varieties 
known as Longiflorum and Harrisii are grown. Only a 
small quantity of arrowroot, for which the islands are 
famous, is now exported, and it realises exceptionally high 
prices in the English Market. Fish of great variety abound 
in the waters surrounding the islands and form the basis of 
a profitable local industry. Green and hawksbill turtle 
are also caught. 

The principal exports in the year 191 2 were : 

Onions crates 140,000 value ^31,183 

Potatoes barrels 43,891 ,, 42,281 

Lily bulbs packages 2,735 >> 2,245 

Arrowroot cwt. 96 ,, 628 

The direction of trade in the same year was : 

Imports. Exports. 

The United States £353-599 ^111,414 

British Colonies 106,366 2,895 

The United Kingdom 170,779 2,277 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
colony is shown by the comparative table, on next page, of 
the revenue and expenditure and the imports and exports 
for the past ten years : 



POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




£ 


£ 


£ 


£ 


1903 


57,i69 


55,503 


539,688 


125,343 


1904 


63.475 


61,133 


590,000 


130,305 


1905 


53,32i 


65,307 


543,222 


116,428 


1906 


53, 2I 3 


69,064 


398,176 


121,295 


1907 


67,538 


59,172 


410,596 


140,598 


1908 


57,o68 


53,586 


390,522 


105,392 


1909 


68,921 


67,093 


440,648 


183,884 


1910 


78,593 


68,392 


517,074 


106,508 


1911 


67,538 


59,172 


545,540 


129,925 


1912 


83,629 


78,210 


637^7^ 


116,586 



CLIMATE. Bermuda is justly famed for its climate, 
which, though less equable than that of the islands within 
the tropics, is particularly charming during the winter 
months, when the temperature ranges between 60 ° and 
70 ° Fahr. During the greater part of the year the islands 
are swept by health-giving ocean breezes and, except 
perhaps in September, the climate is rarely oppressive. 
The annual rainfall is about 60 inches. 

HISTORY. The discovery of the Bermudas is attributed 
to Juan Bermudez, a Spaniard, who touched there in his 
ship La Garza (the Hawk) in 1515, and gave them their 
principal name. Ferdinando Camelo, a Portuguese from 
the Azores, submitted a scheme to the King of Spain in 1 527 
for colonising the islands, but it proved abortive, and the 
only evidence that he ever took possession is furnished by 
his initials and " 1543 " inscribed on what is now called 
" Spanish Rock " on the Main Island. In 1593 one Henry 
May was wrecked in a French ship on the shoals off the 
Bermudas, and reaching the shore remained there for five 
months. After that year the islands were often sighted by 
mariners who called them the "Isles of Devils" in conse- 
quence of their evil reputation for storms and hurricanes. 
The next recorded visitor to them was Sir George Somers, 
a worthy of Dorsetshire. When on a voyage to the newly 
formed colony of Virginia in 1609, he was separated from 
his companions in a terrific storm, and his vessel, the 
Sea Venture, was wedged between two rocks off what is 



THE BERMUDAS 59 

now St. George's Island and became a total wreck. On 
July 28 the ship's company managed to land, and they 
remained on the islands until the following May, when they 
succeeded in reaching Virginia in ships of their own building. 
The circumstance that they found the colonists there 
almost starved prompted Somers to return for supplies to 
the Bermudas, which he described as " the most plentiful 
place that I ever came to for fish, hogs, and fowl." Soon 
after his arrival, however, he died, and while his heart was 
buried where the town of St. George's now stands, his body 
was taken to England and interred at Whitchurch in 
Dorsetshire. The Bermudas were now most favourably 
spoken of. In 161 2, fifty settlers were despatched to them 
by the Virginia Company, whose charter was extended to 
include the " Somer Islands " as they were called ; and 
Richard Moore, ship's carpenter, was made first Governor. 
Three years later, the islands were sold to " the Governor 
and Company of the City of London for the Plantation of 
the Somer Islands," and they remained in the possession 
of that concern until 1684, when it was dissolved in con- 
sequence of the complaints of the settlers. 

At the beginning of the Commonwealth the Bermudians 
remained Royalist, and, in company with Barbados, 
Antigua, and Virginia, the Bermudas were consequently 
penalised by the Act of the Long Parliament which pro- 
hibited trade with those colonies ; but in February 1652 
the Governor and Council took the oath of allegiance and 
the ban was removed. 

Before passing from the history of the Bermudas the 
reader may be reminded that the islands were immortalised 
by Shakespeare, who no doubt derived his inspiration from 
the opening scenes of ''The Tempest," in which he refers 
to the "still vex'd Bermoothes," from the shipwreck of 
Sir George Somers, two years previously. 

CONSTITUTION. Next to the House of Commons the 
House of Assembly of Bermuda is the oldest legislative 
body of the kind in the British Empire. Representative 
government was introduced into the colony in 1620, or one 
year only after the Assembly of Virginia — the first in the 
British colonies — was established, 



60 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

The Governors have, since 1684, been appointed by the 
Crown, and the laws are enacted by a local legislature 
consisting of the Governor, a Legislative Council of nine 
members, three of whom are official and six unofficial, and 
a House of Assembly, comprising thirty-six members, four 
of whom are elected by each of nine parishes. The Governor 
is assisted by an Executive Council consisting at present of 
four official and two unofficial members. It is noteworthy 
that the members of the Executive and Legislative Councils 
and the House of Assembly are paid 8s. a day for each 
day's attendance. 

Governors since 1902 

Lt.-Gen. Sir H. L. Geary, K.C.B. 1902 

Lt.-Gen. Sir Robert McG. Stewart, K.C.B. 1904 

Lt.-Gen. Joscelyn H.Wodehouse, C.B., C.M.G. 1907 

Lt.-Gen. Frederick W. Kitchener, C.B. 1908 

Lt.-Gen. Sir George M. Bullock, K.C.B. 191 2 

HOTELS. Hamilton. The Hamilton Hotel on the 
hill-side above the wharves. Pension $5 (£1 os. lod.) and 
upwards. The Princess Hotel at the west end of the town, 
so called after H.R.H. Princess Louise, who visited Bermuda 
in 1883, $5 (£1 os. xod.) per day and upwards. The 
American House, below the Hamilton, $3 (125. 6d.) per 
day and up. The Kenwood, in Reid Street, $3 (12s. 6d.) 
and up. The Imperial Hotel, $3 (125. 6d.) and up. The 
Point Pleasant Hotel, H. C. Outerbridge, $2.50 (10s. $d.) 
to $3 (12s. 6d.) . The New Windsor Hotel, on the east side of 
Queen Street, Rooms, $1.50 (6s. 3d), Pension $3 (125. 6d.) 
and up. Warwick East. Hotel Belmont. Flatt'S. Hotel 
Frascati, $3 (12s. 6d.) and up. St. George's. The St. George 
Hotel, on the Rose Hill prpperty, once owned by Governor 
Tucker, $4 (16s. 8d.). 

There are also numerous boarding-houses, a list of which 
is given in the Bermuda Almanack, in various parts of the 
islands, and private houses can occasionally be rented by 
visitors making a prolonged stay. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Bermuda is served by 
the steamship companies numbered 1, 13, 15 and 19 in 
the list on pages 14 to 27. 



THE BERMUDAS 61 

An efficient Island Steam Service is maintained daily 
(Sunday excepted) between Hamilton (shed No. 6) and 
Mangrove Bay (40 mins.), Boaz (50 mins.), and Ireland 
Island (40 to 60 mins.). Single fare, gd. (18 cents). There 
are regular steam ferry services between Hamilton (foot of 
Queen Street) and Salt Kettle across the harbour daily 
(including Sundays) [fare, 2d. (4 cents) each way ; Sunday, 
3d. (6 cents.)], and between St. George's (Market Wharf) 
and St. David's daily (Sunday excepted). There is also a 
boat ferry service between Hamilton (near shed 6) and 
Paget West. 

Steam launches, steamers, and motor boats can be hired 
by the day or trip. Sailing boats can be engaged at rates 
from 45. 2d. ($1) per hour, and rowing boats from is. 
(24 cents). 

There are several Livery Stables where carriages can be 
obtained. Single carriages to hold three, 45. 2d. ($1) 
first hour, 2s. id. (50 cents) per hour after. Double carriages 
to hold five, 8s. 4^. ($2) first hour, 4s. 2d. ($1) per hour 
after. Bicycles can also be hired from is. o%d. (25 cents) 
per hour. 

The islands have admirable roads covering 109 miles, 
fifteen of which are under military control . The use of motor- 
cars in Bermuda is prohibited, a circumstance which adds 
greatly to the comfort of visitors. The islands are in 
telegraphic communication with Halifax, N.S., and thence 
with|the United States, Europe, &c, by the cables of the 
Halifax and Bermudas Cable Company, and with Grand 
Turk, Jamaica, and the West Indies by the cables of the 
Direct West India Cable Company. By the former the 
ordinary message rate to England is only 60 cents (2s. 6d.) 
per word, and for plain language messages 30 cents (is. 3d.) 
per word. 

SPORTS. The Hamilton Cricket Club, founded in 1891, 
has a club-house on the Richmond Cricket Ground which 
was completed in 1907, and welcomes visitors ; the Sandys 
United Cricket Club was established on Somerset Island in 
1 90 1. Lawn- tennis is very popular; and there are two 
golf clubs — the Garrison, with links on the North Shore 
near Prospect, and the Hamilton, with links at Spanish 



62 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Point. The roads are excellent for cycling (a cycling map 
can be obtained at the Royal Gazette Stationery Store). 
For yachtsmen there is the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, 
founded by Mr. Samuel Triscot in 1841, with a club-house 
in Hamilton, and the Hamilton Dinghy Club; while the 
Bermuda Boat and Canoe Club, with headquarters at Pitt's 
Bay, also caters for " wet bobs " ; the waters round the 
islands are ideal for motor-boats. The bathing, too, is 
exceptionally good and safe. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The first land which visitors to 
Bermuda usually sight is the eastern end of St. George's 
and St. David's Head on the island of the same name. 
Some nine miles from the shore is the projecting pinnacle 
of rock known as North Rock, on which a light has now 
been placed. "It consists," wrote Prince Albert Victor 
and Prince George of Wales, who visited it in 1880, in 
" The Cruise of H.M.S. Bacchante," 

of three or four jagged brown sandstone teeth, that stand up a 
dozen or fifteen feet above the water and rise from a widespread 
and submerged stone plateau in the midst of the northern reefs. 

On approaching the islands, steamers enter ' ' The 
Narrows," a buoyed ship-channel round the eastern end 
of St. George's, and proceed along the north coast of the 
islands inside the dangerous coral reefs and shoals to Grassy 
Bay, a secure anchorage off Ireland Island. The reef to the 
right on entering "The Narrows" is Sea Venture Flat, on 
which Sir George Somers was wrecked in 1609. It was 
near the north-east corner of St. George's that Sir Thomas 
Gates built the Deliverance which, with the Patience built 
by Sir George Somers on Main Island, carried the company 
of the Sea Venture {see page 59) to Virginia. On the hill 
side the barracks of part of the Imperial Garrison are seen. 
After rounding St. Catherine Point, on which Fort Catherine 
stands, Murray Anchorage is reached. The islands passed 
in succession are St. George's, at the extremity of which is 
a Martello tower erected in 1822, the tiny Coney Island 
— which widely differs from its namesake near New York 
and has on it a curious tower in which salt raked in Turks 
Islands used to be stored for transhipment — and Long or 



THE BERMUDAS 63 

the Main Island. Flatt's Village is soon clearly discerned 
with North village just beyond. Behind it is Mount 
Langton, the residence of the Governor, and a little beyond 
is Admiralty House on Clarence Hill. Looking south, as 
the steamer lies at anchor in Grassy Bay, Ireland Island is 
seen on the starboard or right-hand side, with its dock- 
yard and naval establishment over which floats the White 
Ensign, which since the institution of the West Atlantic 
Squadron will be seen more frequently in Bermudian and 
West Indian waters. Next to it are Boaz and Waftord 
Islands, with Somerset Island and the Main Island beyond. 
The highest point which strikes the eye is Gibbs Hill, rising 
245 ft. above the sea and surmounted by a steel lighthouse, 
To a visitor from northern climes the scene is full of novelty 
and it would be difficult to describe adequately its charm. 
The islands are covered with a mantle of vivid green grass, 
while the surrounding sea, on the other hand, is a deep 
cobalt blue which shows up the brilliant yellow Gulf weed 
that floats on the surface. Pinnaces and motor launches 
flit here and there, and yachts spread their sails to receive 
the almost constant breeze. The water is so clear in these 
favoured regions that rocks, which are really fathoms below 
the surface, can be seen so distinctly that they appear to 
be quite near. 

From Grassy Bay steamers pass along the narrow Stags 
and Two Rock channels in a south-easterly direction to the 
land-locked harbour, on the north side of which stands 
Hamilton (population 2627), the capital of the Bermudas. 
Hamilton, which owes its name to Henry Hamilton, 
Governor when it was incorporated in 1790, succeeded St. 
George's as the seat of Government in 181 5. It is a pictu- 
resque town of white houses laid out on a rectangular plan on 
gently rising ground. The principal shops or stores and 
merchants' warehouses are in Front Street, which runs 
parallel with the wharves, and in Queen Street which leads 
to the Hamilton Hotel. Turning to the right along Front 
Street on landing at the wharf one comes to a square, green 
with many trees, among which is a cedar planted by Prince 
Alfred, afterwards Duke of Edinburgh, the uncle of our 
present King, when he visited Bermuda in 1862. 



64 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

A monument in the square perpetuates the memory of 
William Reid, Governor from 1839 to 1846, who was the 
first to call attention to the agricultural possibilities of the 
Bermudas. It is inscribed : 

Erected 

A.D. MDCCCLXI 

By authority of the legislature in grateful remem- 
brance of the public services and private worth of 
Major-Genl. Sir William Reid, K.C.B., Governor of 
Bermuda from 1839 to 1846. 

On the north side of the square stand the Public Buildings 
erected in 1839, which contain, besides the Council Chamber 
and usual Government offices, the Public Library (open 
10 to 3 except on Sundays or holidays) and a small Museum. 

Behind the Public Buildings stand the Post Office (open 
daily — Sundays and holidays excepted — from 8 a.m. to 
6 p.m. in summer and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter), and 
the Sessions House, erected in 181 7, the upper part of which 
is devoted to the House of Assembly and the lower to the 
Courts of Justice. The Clock Tower, now lighted by 
electricity, was erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's 
first Jubilee in 1887, the work being completed in 1893. 

Passing from the wharves up Burnaby Street, the first 
cross-road is Reid Street, so-called after Governor Reid, in 
which are situated the Masonic Hall and the Post Office 
(both to the right) . Proceeding farther up Burnaby Street, 
we come to Church Street, in which are the Cathedral (to 
the right) and the Hamilton Hotel (to the left) . The 
Cathedral, which is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and has 
a seating capacity of 1200, replaces a building destroyed 
by fire in 1884. The chancel was consecrated on May n, 
191 1, by Bishop Jones. It is a handsome edifice built of 
native limestone faced with Caen stone for the doors and 
windows. The tower (144 feet high) is partly built of 
Nova Scotia free-stone. The total cost was about $60,000. 

The foundation stone of the palatial Hamilton Hotel was 
laid with full masonic honours by Captain Charles Elliott, 
R.N., the then Governor of Bermuda, in August 1852, 
but the hotel was not opened until 1863. Since that year 
it has received many additions, and it may now be con- 



THE BERMUDAS 65 

sidered one of the best and finest hotels in this part of the 
world. Opposite the hotel is the Mechanics' Kail, built 
in 1850 to house the Bermuda Mechanics' Beneficial Associa- 
tion. On the left-hand side of Queen Street are the 
grounds of Par la Ville, in which there is a famous rubber 
tree. In the former residence is the Museum of the 
Bermuda Natural History Society (open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 
Sundays excepted). 

The north end of Burnaby Street is called Cedar Avenue, 
a delightfully shady walk skirting one side of Victoria Park, 
an ornamental garden containing many beautiful flowering 
shrubs and trees, besides a somewhat conventional band- 
stand erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee, 
which was formally opened in 1890. 

A continuation of the road leads to St. John's, the 
Parish Church of Pembroke Parish. In it lie the remains 
of Bishop Field and Sir Robert Laffan, Governor from 
1877 to 1882, whose name survives in " Laffan 's Plain," 
Aldershot. 

Mount Langton, the Governor's residence (about 1 mile 
from the wharf), is reached by way of Burnaby Street and 
Cedar Avenue. The present building, which was designed 
by Messrs. Hay and Henderson, of Edinburgh, was begun 
in 1886 and completed in 1892. The property received its 
name from an estate in Berwickshire owned by Sir James 
Cockburn, Governor of Bermuda from 1814 to 1819. Here 
the representative of the sovereign dispenses hospitality, 
and many enjoyable " At Homes " are held in the charming 
grounds which were purchased by the Government in 181 4. 

Clarence Hill (4 miles from the wharf), the residence of 
the senior officer on the West Atlantic station, is no less 
favourably situated. It stands about 1 J miles to the west 
of Mount Langton. The property was purchased by the 
colony in 18 16 for ^2000 and presented to the Crown. 
The grounds, though divided by the Spanish P-uint road, 
are connected by a tunnel cut in the limestone rock. A 
slope leads to Clarence Cove or Abbot's Bay where there is 
a delightful bathing-place. 

The small island in Hamilton Harbour known as White's 
Island (5 minutes' row by boat) is much frequented on 



66 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

account of the excellent bathing to be had there. The 
island is private property and there is a small fee for bathers. 

On Agar's Island, near Hamilton, is the exceedingly- 
interesting Aquarium of the Bermuda Natural History 
Society, located in an old powder magazine, which well 
deserves a visit. The island can be reached by steamer 
(is. there and back ; admission, is.). 

Ireland Island can be reached either by road or by 
water (6 J miles b}r steamer ; 14 miles by road ; 2 hours 
by carriage). Steamers of the Bermuda Transportation 
Company perform the journey under contract with the 
local Government for the conveyance of the mails, 
and call also at Boaz Island and Mangrove Bay, Somerset 
Island. Leaving the wharf the steamers pass among an 
archipelago of islets through Two Rock Passage into 
the Great Sound. Oxford Point is passed on the 
right, with a quaint monument of tools, bayonets, and 
iron hoops erected by the men of the 56th Regiment, 
now the 2nd Battalion of the Essex Regiment, who 
were isolated there during an outbreak of yellow fever. 
On approaching Ireland Island, the Commissioner's House 
on East Point is a conspicuous object. In a sheltered 
position off the island lies a huge Floating Dock with a 
length over all of 545 ft., breadth 126 ft. 2 in., and 
an extreme lifting power of 17,500 tons. This mammoth 
dock was built at Wallsend-on-Tyne and was towed to 
Bermuda by powerful tugs in the early summer of 1902, 
the voyage taking over fourteen weeks. The enclosed 
basin in which vessels can lie in perfect security is called 
The Camber. 

Ireland Island was purchased by the Imperial Govern- 
ment as a site for a naval station in 1809, and preliminary 
operations were commenced in the following year by slave 
labour. Convict labour was substituted for that of slaves 
in 1824, and the convicts were stationed on Boaz Island 
where the military barracks now are. The convicts were 
withdrawn in 1863 and the graves of those of them who 
died during their sojourn in the islands alone remain to 
remind one of them. Permission can be obtained to visit 
the dockyard, which can be inspected on week days between 



THE BERMUDAS 67 

the hours of 10 a.m. and noon. Visitors should remember 
that no photographs may be taken of the dockyard or of 
any of the fortifications in the islands. When the North 
American and West Indies fleet was replaced by a special 
Cruiser Squadron in pursuance of the policy of the " Blue- 
water " school, the dockyard became less busy than it used 
to be ; but it is now more resorted to again. There is 
much of interest to be seen. In the twin towers of the 
main building are two clocks — one to tell the time of day 
and the other that of high tide. A slab bears the inscription : 

Bermuda Yard 

Latitude xxxii°. xix'. i". n. 

Longitude lxiv . li\ xxxvi". w. 

By Captain Owen, R.N. 

Visitors should on no account omit to ask their cicerone to 
point out the old ship's bell of the Shannon, an interesting 
souvenir of the memorable engagement between that 
vessel and the American frigate Chesapeake off Boston on 
June 1, 1 81 3, which hangs in a niche in the wall near by. 
After a desperate encounter lasting eleven minutes, during 
which Captain Philip Vere Broke of the Shannon was 
disabled, and Captain Lawrence of the Chesapeake was 
fatally wounded, the American vessel was compelled to 
strike her colours, which now hang in the Royal United 
Service Museum in Whitehall, London. The bell, which 
bears the date 1740, was cracked by a bullet. 
Below the niche is a tablet inscribed : 

Bell said to have belonged to H.M.S. Shannon 
and damaged during her engagement 
with the U.S. Frigate Chesapeake 
ist June 1813. 

The road for carriages or cyclists to Ireland Island is 
clearly shown on the map which faces page 56. Pedestrians 
can take a short cut by crossing the ferry from Hamilton 
to Paget. The several islands traversed are connected by 
bridges, and many exquisite views can be obtained en route 
of the islands in the Great Sound, on which many Boer 



68 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

prisoners were confined during, and immediately after, the 
last South African War. Visitors wishing to get a good 
idea of the " lie of the land " should make a detour at 
Gibbs Hill and ascend it (245 ft.) and the lighthouse 
(105 ft. 9 in. to the gallery) which commands a truly 
magnificent view. The lighthouse, which is of steel, was 
erected at a cost of ^5500 between 1844 and 1845, and the 
present revolving light was installed in 1904. It has an 
illuminating power of 99,930 candles and can be seen for a 
distance of 27 miles. 

A steam ferry crosses Hamilton Harbour to Salt Kettle. 
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the 
Bermudians were actively engaged in the salt industry in 
Turks Islands (see page 204), Salt Kettle was one of the 
entrepots of the trade. Here the salt was stored prior to 
transhipment to America. 

St. George's (12 miles; by the North Shore Road by 
carriage if hours) can be reached from Hamilton by the 
North Shore, Middle, or South Shore Roads, which converge 
at Flatt's Village. Visitors are recommended to go by the 
first-named road, which is by far the most pleasant, and 
to return by the South Shore. The North Shore Road, 
which runs along the coast at the foot of the main ridge 
extending from Spanish Point opposite Ireland Island 
eastwards, is reached by way of Cedar Avenue, St. John's 
Church, and Mount Langton. The old church dates from 
1 62 1 ; but it was rebuilt in 1721, and again in 182 1. Where 
the road turns to the right along the coast, is a curious 
rock known as the Ducking Stool. Tradition has it that it 
was here that the local " scolds " were punished in the 
approved style in the olden days. Two miles farther are 
The wells where H.M. ships used to water before the 
present tanks were erected. 

Flatt's Village (4J miles ; £ hour from Hamilton), which 
stands at the very narrow mouth of a large inlet of the sea 
called Harrington Sound, is the next point of interest. 
The small island just off the coast, with which it is con- 
nected by a small causeway, is Gallow's Island. A post at 
its highest point identifies the spot where a negro slave was 
hanged in a gibbet in 1754 for murdering his master. 



THE BERMUDAS 69 

Flatt's is now a place of little consequence, but it was once 
a shipping port of some size. 

The Middle Road to the Flatt's begins at the east end of 
Hamilton and joins the North Shore Road at Zuill's Park, 
a distance of \ mile from the village passing Prospect 
Hill, the military camp. This road can be taken on the 
excursion to Spanish Rock (3 miles) and Knapton Hill 
(4 miles). 

Harrington Sound is a large inlet of the sea which, but 
for a narrow mouth bridged at Flatt's, would be an inland 
lake. It is always a source of great attraction to visitors, 
and especially to those of them who are interested in 
geology, for in its neighbourhood there are many remark- 
able limestone caves. The island to the north-east of 
Flatt's is Trunk Island. After crossing the Flatt's Bridge, 
the visitor can proceed by either the shorter North Road 
or the longer ' but more interesting South Road, which 
together encircle the Sound, meeting in the neighbourhood 
of the Causeway, to which reference is made below. The 
most direct route to St. George's is by the North Road, 
passing Shelly Bay, which affords a good view of Ireland 
Island and Somerset Island, and Bailey's Bay, in the 
neighbourhood of which are the justly famed Joyce's Caves 
with their many stalactites and stalagmites. The long 
cave with two entrances recalled to the minds of the young 
princes in 1880 that of which Stephano in " The Tempest " 
(Act ii, scene 2) said " My cellar is in a rock by th' sea-side, 
where my wine is hid." To approach the second cave 
ladders are needed, and here the stalactites are even more 
remarkable, assuming all kinds of fantastic shapes. A 
stalagmitic bust of Shakespeare is shown among other 
curiosities. 

The South Road round the Sound passes many points of 
interest, the most notable of which perhaps is the Devil's 
Hole, now the property of the Trott family. This pool, 
which is also known as the Grouper's Grotto and Neptune's 
Grotto, is stocked with fish whose every movement can be 
plainly seen in the remarkably clear water, which rises and 
falls with the tide, being connected with the sea and not 
with the Sound. At the eastern corner of the Sound is the 



7o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

old property known as Paynter's Vale, and above it rises 
Paynter's Hill, which is very well worth climbing for the 
superb views which it affords of the Sound on one side 
and Castle Harbour on the other. Near by is Shark's 
Hole, another interesting cave over which the road passes, 
and proceeding farther one comes to the famous Walsingham 
Caves, which well repay a visit. It was at Walsingham 
that Ireland's poet, Tom Moore, resided for a few months 
when he was Registrar of the Vice-Admiralty Court. He 
did not remain long in the islands, but delegated his duties 
to another man. Tom Moore's calabash tree is also pointed 
out to visitors. Near by are the scarcely less famous 
Fern Caves, the Blue Hole, and Castle Grotto, all of which 
should be inspected. The South Road eventually joins the 
North in the neighbourhood of the Causeway. Until 1871 
communication with the island of St. George's could only 
be effected by ferry from Coney Island to the mouth Of 
Castle Harbour, and in bad weather the capital was often 
cut off from the other islands for days at a time. In that 
year, however, St. George's was connected with the Main 
Island by means of a causeway, which was begun in 1867 
under the direction of Lieutenant Hime, R.E., and opened 
amid the rejoicings of the inhabitants in 1871. The length 
from a spot called Blue Hole at which it starts is 1 mile and 
1430 yards, and the cost of its construction was ^32,000, 
towards which the Imperial Government contributed 
£8500. For the first part of the distance the Causeway 
crosses the open harbour like the bridges from Mestre to 
Venice. It is then carried over Long Bird Island, which is 
connected with Stocks Point on St. George's Island by a 
swing-bridge. This when open affords access to St. George's 
Harbour from the north. From Stocks Point the road to 
the old capital leads round Mullet Bay and under the guns 
of the old Fort George, affording superb views of St. David's 
Island and Smith's Island, besides numerous others. 

St. George's, which, like the island on which it stands, 
owes its name to Sir George Somers, is an exceedingly 
picturesque town of 1500 inhabitants. It was founded in 
1 61 2, but not incorporated until 1797. Until 1815 when 
the seat of Government was transferred to Hamilton it was 



THE BERMUDAS 71 

the capital of the Bermudas. The town stands on the 
shores of the harbour of the same name, which is well 
protected from the south by St. David's Island, and is 
approached from the sea by a narrow channel known as 
the Town Cut, commanded by the guns of Fort Cunningham 
on Paget's Island. St. George's is built on sloping ground, on 
the highest part of which is Fort George ; but it is shut in 
on the north by rising 'ground on which military barracks 
are situated. 

The principal landing-place is at the Market Square, off 
which stands the small Ordnance Island. The Town Hall, 
which contains the offices of the Halifax and Bermudas 
and the Direct West India Cable Companies and Hotel, faces 
the square. 

The Hotel St. George, opened in 1907, stands on the 
Rose Hill property, once the residence of Governor 
Tucker (1 803-1 805), about 100 ft. above the town. It 
commands a noble view of Castle Harbour, Castle Island, 
and St. David's. In front of the hotel are two trees said to 
have been planted as sprigs from a bride's bouquet many 
years ago. Behind the old Government House is the 
entrance to the Public Gardens, which deserve a visit. In 
the wall on the left-hand side of the entrance is a tablet to 
the memory of Sir George Somers. It was erected at the 
instance of Governor Sir John H. Lefroy, and is inscribed : 

Near this spot 
was interred in the year 1610, 
the heart of the heroic Admiral 

Sir George Somers, Kt., 
who nobly sacrificed his life 
to carry succour 
to the infant and suffering plantation 
now 
the State of Virginia. 
To preserve his fame for future ages, 
near the scene of his memorable 
shipwreck, 1609, 
the Governor and Commander-in-Chief 
of this Colony for the time being, 
caused this tablet to be erected 
1876. 



72 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

In 1620 Governor Nathaniel Butler caused the following 
inscription to be placed over the spot : 

" In the year 1611 * 
Noble Sir George Summers went hence to heaven. 
Whose well-tried worth that held him still imploid 
Gave him the knowledge of the world so wide ; 
Hence 'twas by Heaven's decree that to this place 
He brought new guests and name to mutual grace ; 
At last his soul and body being to part 
He here bequeathed his entrails and his heart." 

Near the Somers' tablet is the inscription : 

CHARLOTTE HOPE 

POSUIT 

JOHANNES HOPE 

PRAEFECTUS 

25TH DECEM. ANNO. I726. 

The memory of the founder of the colony is further 
perpetuated by a monument in the Public Gardens which 
was unveiled on February 14, 191 1, by the then Governor 
Sir F. W. Kitchener, the funds being provided by the 
Colonial Legislature. It is inscribed : 

1 609-1 909 

In Commemoration of the 

Settlement of these Islands 

On the 22d of July, 1609 

and 

In honour of Admiral 

Sir George Somers, Kt. 

At whose instance largely 

the Settlement was effected 

this Memorial 

has been erected out of a 

Grant made by the Legislature 

of the Colony. 

The Post Office and Customs are in a building in Water 
Street to the east of the Market Squrre. 

The old church of St. Peter's in York Street deserves a 
visit. It was built in 17 13 on the site of one erected as 
far back as the year 161 2 by Governor Moore. The tower 

* Sir George Summers died in 1610. 161 1 is no doubt poetic 

license. 



THE. BERMUDAS 73 

was added in 18 14. The Communion plate, which is dated 
1684, was the gift of King William III. 

Many interesting walks and expeditions can be made 
from St. George's, notably to the Barracks, which com- 
mand a very fine view, to St. David's Island, &c. 

Returning to Hamilton, the South Road can be joined 
either at Tucker's Town or at the Devil's Hole. The beach 
and natural arch at Tucker's Town merit inspection. The 
first place of interest reached is Periston's Pond (2 miles), 
a brackish lake apparently separated from, but really com- 
municating with, the sea by underground channels. Near 
by is the historic Spanish Rock inscribed : 

F + 
1543 

which is shown to prove that Ferdinando Camelo, to whom 
reference is made above, actually visited Bermuda. The 
military road between Tucker's Town and Spanish Rocks 
is claimed to be — and we quote the Bermuda Almanack — 
an " unrivalled seaside drive." 



CHAPTER V 
THE BAHAMAS 

Expulsis piratis commercia restituta 

The Colony's Motto 

GENERAL ASPECT. The Bahamas or Bahama Islands 
consist of a chain of coral islands with a total area of 
44031 square miles. They lie between latitude 21 ° 42' and 
2 7 34' N. and longitude 72 40' and 79 5' W., and extend 
from off the coast of Florida to the north of Haiti. Accord- 
ing to the report of Governor Rawson W. Rawson, they 
include twenty-nine inhabited islands and over 3000 islets 
and rocks. The principal islands are : New Providence 
(in which is the capital, Nassau), Abaco, Harbour Island, 
Eleuthera, Inagua, Long Cay, the Biminis, Cat Island, 
Ragged Island, Rum Cay, Exuma, Long Island, Grand 
Bahama, San Salvador, and Watling's Island, all of which 
are Ports of Entry ; and Crooked Island, Acklin Island, 
Mayaguana, the Berry Islands, and Andros. 

The large islands are for the most part situated on the 
eastern edge of the plateau on which the archipelago rests, 
and rise precipitously from great depths of ocean averaging 
between 2000 and 2700 fathoms within a mile from the 
shore. On the west there is a vast submerged bank 
stretching from the Gulf Stream to within a few miles of 
the coast of Cuba over which the depth of water rarely 
exceeds four fathoms. On the south, between the islands 
of Long Island and Long Cay, there is a deep-water channel 
only forty miles wide, known as the Crooked Island 
Passage, which in the near future should be widely 
known among mariners, since on the opening of the 
Panama Canal the majority of vessels going to and from 

74 



THE BAHAMAS 75 

Canadian and North American ports to the Canal will pass 
through it. 

New Providence lies on the south of the Providence 
Channel and is situated on the very edge of soundings, the 
depth of water within half a mile of Nassau Harbour being 
1 800 feet. Off its western and southern shores there lies an 
extraordinary body of deep water, known as the " Tongue of 
the Ocean," which separates New Providence from Andros. 
The larger islands all have the same general configuration. 
They are protected by long and dangerous reefs, shifting 
sand bores and coral heads, access to the land being obtained 
by tortuous passages and narrow openings navigable only 
by vessels of shallow draft. The land arises abruptly from 
the sea to a long narrow ridge, seldom more than 150 ft. 
high, behind which is a marshy swamp, studded here and 
there with shallow pools and lagoons. Beyond these again 
rises another low ridge. The land is nowhere of great 
elevation, the highest point (in San Salvador) being only 
240 ft. high ; while Grand Bahama is less than 40 ft. 
above high- water mark. There are no minerals of any 
kind in the colony, and the only deposits of any commercial 
value are formed in the numerous caves in the shape of 
bat manure, locally known as Cave Earth. The islands, 
however, produce fairly good building stone (coral detritus), 
of which the more ambitious houses and edifices are built. 
The only river in the entire group is in Andros Island. 

INDUSTRIES. The chief industry is the collection of 
sponges, the value of the export of which is about one-half 
that of the entire exports from the colony. At the end 
of 191 1 there were about 180 schooners of from 7 to 37 tons 
burthen with an aggregate tonnage of 2925, and 402 sloops 
of from 3 to 15 tons burthen with an aggregate tonnage of 
2746, engaged in the sponge fisheries of the Bahamas. 
Attached to these vessels were 1490 open boats, while the 
number of men and boys employed was 31 14. In addition 
there were about 463 open boats unattached to any vessel, 
engaged in the gathering of sponges along the shores of 
some of the islands. There were about 250 men and women 
employed, principally in Nassau, in clipping, sorting, 
packing, and otherwise preparing the sponge for export. 



76 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

The cultivation of sisal hemp is increasing year by year, 
and, in spite of the fluctuations of price, is the great main- 
stay and support of the peasant proprietors of the colony. 
In 191 2, 8,067,485 lbs. of fibre, valued at £66,427, were 
exported, against 2,336,497 lbs. in 1902. As a home 
industry for women and children, the cultivation of sisal 
is capable of great expansion ; but as an enterprise for the 
employment of capital on a large scale it has not proved 
satisfactory, owing to the shortage of labour. This shortage 
is due to the high wages paid for agricultural labour in 
Florida. An American company has secured concessions 
for cutting pine lumber in Abaco, Andros, and Grand 
Bahama. It employs over 500 labourers. Bahamas 
pitch pine is the hardest and the heaviest known in the 
world. For flooring it is unequalled, but carpenters object 
to it as it is impossible to drive a nail into it without first 
boring a hole. An endeavour to establish Sea Island cotton 
industry is meeting with very limited success. The pine- 
apple industry has languished, owing to the keen competi- 
tion of Cuba and Hawaii, whose fruit is protected by the 
United States tariff. There is one factory as Nassau 
operated by an American company, and one at Governor's 
Harbour, Eleuthera. On Exuma sheep flourish, and salt is 
produced by the evaporation of the water from brine on 
Ragged Island and elsewhere. Coco-nuts, too, thrive all 
through the islands, despite the hurricanes which occasion- 
ally sweep over them. 

The values of the principal articles of export in 191 2 were 
as follows : 

Sponges . ^172,051 Lumber . £21,293 
Pine -apples . 5, 17 5 Turtle shells 3,151 

Sisal . . 66,427 Conch Shells 450 

The direction of trade in the same year was as follows : 

Imports Exports 

United States . . . ^247,551 . . ^135,669 

Canada . . . . 12,714 .. i,337 

United Kingdom, . . 84,485 . . 55,320 

FINANCIAL POSITION. Opposite is a comparative table 
giving the revenue and expenditure and the imports and 
exports of the colony for the last ten years. 



ISMLI 



mWW F2E®¥IBllfCE 

SCALE OF ENGLISH MILES 
o X & fr i 2 3 4 



Ai^ 



?fe? 



31- 



cu^^J 



r* 



low * Swampy J . 

:.,■.* «** pine, J 

( L. Killarney 

\ or Petty L. 

Numerous sm$ manqr. islands 







6to8ffaLoveI.W: 




,>JV r! 









4^ JF'^^^pifij^^^-* ^ 






J r rat&m 



/ «=.' ■'■'■..ii'«4#<v.i,-.'' ■"■■ '^C 




V L'iacXivearvls 







ifiivP.' 



Stan-ford's Geog'. Estatf London. 



THE BAHAMAS 



77 





Revenue 


Expenditure 


Imports * 


Exports * 




£ 


i 


i 


I 


1903-4 


7*, 337 


74, 38 


249,590 


210,493 


1904-5 


71,112 


69,825 


297,241 


194,936 


1905-6 


77, 2 94 


70,256 


308,544 


222,905 


1906-7 


79,058 


71,087 


329,H5 


221,925 


1907-8 


89,694 


79,790 


372,937 


22^ 


1908-9 


81,862 


99,655 


369,490 


183,558 


1909-10 


77,578 


92,858 


343,489 


165,1 16 


1910-11 


84,386 


85,315 


239,014 


188,2 : 


1911-12 


85,592 


82,676 


3H,095 


209,251 


1912-13 


97,574 


88,077 


358,in 


276,115 



* For calendar years 1 903-1 91 3. 

CLIMATE. The climate of the Bahamas is equable 
and extremely healthy. At Nassau the mean temperature 
during the first three months of the year is 71° Fahr., and 
during the hottest months only 82.4' Fahr., the mean 
temperature throughout the year being 77° Fahr. The 
lowest temperature in the last twenty years was 53° Fahr., 
and the highest 98 ° Fahr. During the winter months little 
rain falls, and the prevalent winds in winter blow from the 
north, north-east, and north-west for about thirty-six days 
out of ninety, and from the east about twenty days, while 
for the whole year there are only on an average eighteen 
days of calm. The colony is singularly free from malaria 
and no case of yellow fever has occurred in it for over 
hirty years. The birth-rate averages forty- two per 
thousand, and the death-rate twenty-four. This compara- 
tively high rate is attributed to the fact that three-fourths 
of the population inhabit islands where there are no doctors 
and where a lamentable ignorance of the ordinary laws of 
sanitation prevails. 

HISTORY. The Bahamas were discovered by Columbus, 
who landed in 1492 on San Salvador (now identified with 
Watling's Island), his first landfall in the New World. The 
original inhabitants, whom the discoverer called the 
Lucayans, were indolent, and were soon exterminated by 
the Spaniards, who sent most of them to work in the mines 



78 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

of Hispaniola (Haiti) . The islands were first occupied by 
Bermudians. Settlers went to Eleuthera in considerable 
numbers from the Bermudas in 1 647-1 660 and some 
years later also to New Providence. In 1670 the island 
were granted by King Charles II to the Duke of Albemarle 
and others as Lords Proprietors, who, however, on Octo- 
ber 27, 171 7, surrendered the civil and military government 
to the Crown. Soon after the foundation of the colony it 
became one of the chief haunts of the Buccaneers, who 
degenerated into pirates and made the islands the base 
of their marauding expeditions and the scene of their 
debaucheries. 

The Spaniards resented this and frequently raided and 
destroyed the English settlements ; but it was not until 
1 71 8, when Captain Woodes Rogers, R.N., the rescuer of 
Alexander Selkirk from Juan Fernandez, was appointed 
Governor that piracy was suppressed. He caused no fewer 
than eight of the chief offenders to be hanged on one day. 
In 1782 a force of Spaniards captured Nassau and held it 
for some months ; but in 1783 it was retaken by Colonel 
Deveaux of South Carolina in the manner described on 
page 84. In 1784 the population of the colony was more 
than doubled by the arrival of Loyalists from Georgia and 
Carolina with their slaves. These staunch men and true 
were given grants of land, and made admirable colonists. 
The subsequent history of the colony has been peaceful. 
During the American Civil War Nassau became the head- 
quarters of blockade runners, and the colony enjoyed a 
period of unparalleled prosperity, the total volume of 
trade actually rising from ^491,979 in i860 to ^10,019,510 
in 1864. No fewer than 393 vessels entered, and 584 cleared 
for blockaded ports. Of these 64 are known to have been 
captured or sunk. 

CONSTITUTION. Like Barbados and the Bermudas, 
the Bahamas possess representative institutions without 
responsible government. By an Order in Council dated 
July 25, 1728, a General Assembly with legislative powers 
was constituted. This Assembly met for the first time on 
September 29, 1729. There is an Executive Council, 
consisting of the Governor, the Colonial Secretary, the 



THE BAHAMAS 79 

Attorney-General and Receiver-General as ex-ojficio 
members, and five unofficial members. Every member, 
other than an ex-officio member, must vacate his seat after 
five years, but may be reappointed. The Legislative 
Council consists generally of nine members nominated by 
the Governor and confirmed by the Crown. The House of 
Assembly consists of twenty-nine members, elected for 
seven years on a most liberal franchise which amounts 
practically to manhood suffrage, there being in 191 1 no 
fewer than 13,768 on the electoral roll. 

Governors of the Bahamas since 1887 

Sir Ambrose Shea, K.C.M.G. 1887 

Sir W. F. Haynes Smith, K.C.M.G. 1895 

Sir G. T. Carter, K.C.M.G. 1898 

Sir William Grey- Wilson, K.C.M.G. 1904 

George B. Haddon Smith, Esq., C.M.G. 191 2 

HOTELS. Nassau. The Hotel Colonial (owned by the 
Florida East Coast Hotel Company), overlooking the 
harbour, has accommodation for 600 guests. Board and 
lodging, £1 os. lod. ($5) per day and upwards. Hotel Royal 
Victoria (owned by the same company) can accommodate 
about 200 guests. Hotel Clifton, 10s. 5^. ($2.50) per day. 
There are also numerous lodgings and boarding-house 
where the rates vary from £2 is. 8d. ($10) to £4 3s. Ad, ($20) 
per week. Several private families take in paying guests, 
and furnished houses can be leased at very reasonable rates. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. The Bahamas are 
served by the steamship companies numbered 22 and 
24 in the list given on pages 14 to 27. Communication 
between Nassau and several of the " out islands " is main- 
tained by eleven schooners, subsidised by the Government 
to carry mails, passengers, and freight. Sailing and motor 
boats can be hired by the day or season with competent 
men to manage them, and to arrange fishing parties, &c. 
Hackney cabs are plentiful in Nassau, and people wishing 
to make a complete tour of the island of New Providence 
can hire motor-cars from an ever-increasing number of 
proprietors. 



80 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Cable communication is effected with Jupiter in Florida, 
and a wireless apparatus with a range of 400 miles has been 
established near Fort Charlotte at Nassau by the Anglo- 
French Wireless Company. The island has a very efficient 
telegraph service conducted by the Government. 

SPORTS. The Nassau Lawn-tennis Club has two 
grass courts, and the Hotel Colonial two grass and one 
" dirt " court. Numerous tennis tournaments are held in 
winter. The Florida East Coast Hotel Company has 
picturesque nine-hole golf links with a small club-house 
in the grounds round Fort Charlotte, and a professional is 
employed. (Subscription, $10 for the season, and less for 
shorter periods.) Several competitions are held during the 
winter, and there is also an annual championship match. 
" Court golf," played over a miniature course with putters 
and lofters only, was originated in Nassau by Dr. Cassel- 
berry. There are three cricket clubs in New Providence, 
and Rugby football is played during the winter months. 
Duck-shooting can be indulged in on Lakes Cunningham 
and Killarney from November to April ; and wild pigeon 
afford good sport for the gun in August and September, 
especially on Green Cay, about sixty miles south of Nassau. 
The sea fishing to be had is excellent. Tarpon have been 
found in considerable numbers off Andros (thirty miles from 
Nassau). Yachting is much indulged in, and the well- 
protected harbour of Nassau offers every advantage for 
sailing. The bathing from the bathing beach on Hog 
Island is unsurpassable. 

CLUBS. The members of the Nassau Club and the 
Porcupine Club extend hospitality to visitors suitably 
introduced. The Porcupine Club on Hog Island, over- 
hanging the harbour, besides being a social club, makes 
excellent provision for bathing. All the " Charter mem- 
bers" are American. The subscription is $15 (£3 2s. 6d.) 
for two weeks, or $25 (£$ 4s. 2d.) for the season. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Nassau (population 12,554), 
the capital of New Providence, is picturesquely situated on 
a gently rising coral strand at the north-east end of the 
island facing north, and on the shore of a harbour protected 
by the flat and narrow Hog Island. A recent visitor 



THE BAHAMAS 8i 

described the approach to the town from the sea in the 
following terms : 

The ocean of deep sapphire suddenly changes to a lagoon 
of emerald green surrounded by shores of snow-white coral sand. 
Beyond, the white limestone houses of the town, intermingled 
with groves of graceful palms, and half concealed by gorgeous 
Poincianas, rise on a gentle slope against a sky of purest blue ; 
and again, as one strolls along the clean white streets, a surprise 
is in store at every turn ; now it is the graceful drooping bells 
of the Datura, a little later the delicate perfume from a hedge 
of Oleanders, in the distance the brilliant crown of a Poinciana ; 
and in almost every garden the Bougainvillea can be seen in 
all its glory. 

The S.S. Miami from Florida is able to enter the harbour 
and to lie alongside the wharf at Rawson Square ; but 
larger vessels have to anchor off the lighthouse on Hog 
Island, their passengers being landed in a tug. 

On entering the harbour, the first conspicuous object is 
the huge Colonial Hotel on the sea front. It occupies part 
of the site of old Fort Nassau completed in 1697, and 
stands in Bay Street, the main thoroughfare of Nassau, 
running parallel with the sea. The large " Blackbeard's 
Well " under the hotel was in the south-west bastion of 
the Fort. Quite near where this luxurious hotel now 
stands eight pirates were hanged on December 12, 171 8. 
At 10 o'clock on that day 

they were led to the top of the rampart fronting the sea. Thence 
they were conducted down the ladder to the foot of the fort wall to 
the gallows, whereon a black flag was hoisted. They were allowed 
three-quarters of an hour under the gallows, which they spent in 
singing psalms. — The History of the Pirates. 

The Customs formalities on landing at Rawson Square — ■ 
so called after Sir Rawson W. Rawson, Governor from 
1 864 to 1869 — are not by any means alarming, and American 
visitors in particular are generally agreeably surprised at 
the cursory nature of the examination of their personal 
effects which is made. Rawson Square is separated by 
Bay Street from the Public Buildings, which form three 
sides of a quadrangle, in the centre of which is a statue of 
Queen Victoria, unveiled by Sir William Grey- Wilson, the 
then Governor, on May 24, 1905. The centre building 



82 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

contains the Supreme Court, the General Post Office and 
the Legislative Council Chamber. In the latter are oil 
paintings of George III, Queen Victoria, and Edward VII, 
and busts of Shakespeare and H.R.H. the Duke of Edin- 
burgh. That of the poet was ordered to commemorate the 
tercentenary of his birth, and was unveiled in 1 867 by Lady 
Rawson, who also unveiled the bust of our King's uncle 
in 1868. The eastern wing contains various Government 
offices, while in the western wing is the House of Assembly. 

Behind the General Post Office stands a huge silk- 
cotton tree (Bombax ceiba) which almost rivals in size the 
famous " Tom Cringle's " tree in Jamaica. This remark- 
able tree, whose branches spread out in some directions as 
far as 116 ft., was introduced originally from South 
Carolina, and is the ancestor of all the other silk-cotton 
trees in the island. The huge buttress-like extensions of 
the stem are a remarkable provision by Nature to enable 
this immense tree to withstand hurricanes. 

To the south of the General Post Office stands an octagonal 
building which was once a prison and is now the Public 
Library. It has a very well equipped reading-room and 
museum, to both of which visitors are welcome. 

Bay Street is the chief thoroughfare of Nassau. It runs 
parallel with the sea front along the entire length of the 
town. On the north and sea side are the wharves and busi- 
ness premises of the merchants, the Royal Bank of Canada, 
and the Bank of Nassau ; while on the south side are well- 
appointed stores or shops. The street is diverted at the 
Hotel Colonial, and, passing round the back of that 
caravanserai, takes one to within a short distance of the 
historic Fort Charlotte, which stands on the rising ground 
about a quarter of a mile from the road, and commands the 
western entrance to the harbour. This old fort, called after 
Queen Charlotte, the consort of George III, is now sur- 
rounded by the golf links belonging to the hotel. It was built 
in 1788 by John Murray, fourth Earl of Dunmore, the last 
British Governor of New York and Virginia and Governor 
of the Bahamas from 1786 to 1796. It contains many 
curious underground stairways, corridors and dungeons, 
which are now the home of innumerable bats : one species 



THE BAHAMAS 83 

of these is, as far as is known, only found in New Providence. 
Near-by tower the masts of the ship-to-shore wireless station. 
The Sponge market or Exchange should certainly be 
visited. The sponges, after being roughly cleaned and 
dried, are laid out in lots. The members of the Exchange 
then inspect them and make their bids on slips of paper. 
The successful bidder then removes his sponges in sponge 
drays — large and lightly built crates carried on two- wheeled 
carts — to the sponge yards. 

Victoria Avenue is the name of a picturesque avenue of 
royal palms planted in 1904 by the members of the 
Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire in memory 
of her late Majesty Queen Victoria. 

Government House, at the top of the hill behind the 
Colonial Hotel, called Mount Fitzwilliam, after Richard Fitz- 
william, Governor 1 733-1 738, is reached by George Street, 
which runs at right angles to Bay Street at the east end of 
the Hotel Colonial. En route to it, the Cathedral on the 
left-hand side of George Street may be visited. It occupies 
the site of an older church, and was opened for divine 
service on April 19, 1840, the foundation-stone having 
been laid by Sir Francis Cockburn, the then Governor of 
the Bahamas, in 1837. It is a plain building of stone. The 
See of Nassau was formed in 1861. Governor John Tinker 
(1 738-1 759), Lieut. -Governor James E. Powell (1 784-1 786) 
and Sir Henry Marr, of the 47th Regiment, were buried 
in the Cathedral. Government House was erected by 
Governor Halkett in 1801. The statue of Columbus 
standing in the gardens, which cover about eighteen acres, 
was modelled with the assistance of Washington Irving, 
and was presented to the colony by General Sir James 
Carmichael Smith. 

Beyond Fort Charlotte the continuation of Bay Street 
takes one to Old Fort ( 1 1 f miles from Nassau) and then 
Clifton, which boasts the only cliffs in the island. Still 
farther South-west Bay (15 miles from Nassau) is reached. 
Here the mail steamers land passengers when north- 
westerly gales render the harbour bar impassable. From 
this bay a drive of nineteen miles can be taken through the 
pine forests across the island to Nassau. 



84 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

A pleasant drive can be taken to Fort Montagu (2|- miles 
from Nassau), built in 1742, which commands the eastern 
end of the harbour and overlooks the narrows between Hog 
and Athol Islands. It was on a spot a little to the east 
of this fort, which owes its name to the Duke of Montagu, 
that Colonel Deveaux, of the Royal Foresters of South 
Carolina, a dashing young officer barely twenty-five years 
of age, landed on April 14, 1783, when he made his memor- 
able descent on New Providence and bluffed the Spaniards 
into submission. The expedition was conducted entirely at 
his own expense, the remains of his fortune shattered by the 
war then just concluded being devoted to it. With a mere 
handful of volunteers embarked in two brigantines he 
sailed for Harbour Island and Eleuthera, where he collected 
some recruits ; but his force never exceeded 220 men, who 
had only about 150 muskets among them. The Spaniards 
in Fort Montagu were caught napping. Only one of their 
sentries was awake, and he was captured with a lighted 
match in his hand just as he was about to blow up the 
fort. Deveaux now took up a position on the ridge over- 
looking the works which commanded the town, and in 
order to make the Spaniards believe that he had a large 
force at his disposal, caused his men to be rowed back- 
wards and forwards between the ships and the shore. On 
their way to the shore they stood up ; but as they were 
rowed back to the brigantines they hid below the gunwales. 
He also placed dummy soldiers on the heights, and, to terror- 
ise the Spaniards, dressed up some of his men as Indians. 
The ruse answered admirably and the Spanish Governor, 
Antonio y Sanz, capitulated after only one round of shot 
had been fired from Deveaux' batteries. It is easy to 
imagine what his disgust must have been when he dis- 
covered how completely he had been hoodwinked. 

Fort Fincastle, which stands on the ridge called 
Bennet's Hill to the east of Government House and over- 
looking the town, should be visited. It can be approached 
by the Queen's Staircase, a remarkable flight of steps, 
sixty-seven in number, cut out of the solid coral rock. 

This quaint old fort, which takes its name from the 
second title of Lord Dunmore (see page 82), by whom 



THE BAHAMAS 85 

it was built about 1793, is chiefly noteworthy on account 
of its peculiar shape, which bears a striking resemblance 
to that of an old-fashioned paddle-wheel steamer. It tapers 
fore and aft, if one may use that expression, while on 
either side are buttressed fortifications which look strangely 
like sponsons. Like Fort Charlotte, Fort Fincastle is now 
used as a signal station, and the beflagged signal mast 
heightens the illusion. The view of the surrounding country 
from the battlements is very striking. 

The Sea Gardens at the eastern end of Nassau Harbour 
are a never-failing source of attraction to visitors. A glass- 
bottomed boat is chartered from the Colonial Hotel or 
Rawson Square, and through this can be seen in all their 
startling reality the wonders of life beneath the sea. The 
visitor gazes in amazement at a submarine garden decked 
with growing corals, some assuming the shapes of waving 
yellow feathers, and others those of purple fans, among 
which swim fishes of every size, shape, and hue, as one 
writer has aptly said, " like butterflies in a garden of 
brilliant flowers.' ' 

By those fond of bathing many enjoyable days can be 
spent on the north shore of Hog Island. Here there is 
an exquisite beach of firm white coral sand. This during 
the season is crowded with bathers who revel in the sea 
water, which rarely falls below 70 ° Fahr. in temperature. 
A visit to the " Beach " finds a place in the daily programme 
of most visitors, who for the modest fee of is. (25 cents) 
can secure a passage to and from Hog Island, the use of a 
dressing-room, a luxurious bath and freshly picked oranges 
and grape-fruit ad libitum. The fruit is, in characteristic 
West Indian style, peeled and impaled on sticks, an arrange- 
ment which adds not a little to the comfort of the consumer. 
By those who are fond of yachting or boating many 
pleasant and interesting excursions can be made to other 
islands — popularly known as " Out Islands " — of the 
Bahamas group. A trip through the Exuma Cays, for 
example, where one can sail for some sixty miles between 
densely wooded islets and cays in a depth of water seldom 
exceeding ten fathoms, is an ideal way of spending a few 
days. 



CHAPTER VI 
BARBADOS 

Et penitus toto regnantes orbe Britannos. 

The Colony's motto, adapted from Virgil, 
Eclogue i, 1. 67 

GENERAL ASPECT. Barbados, which is situated in 
latitude 13 4/ N. and longitude 59 37' W., is the most 
easterly of the West Indian islands. It is about 21 miles 
long by 14 broad, and its total area is 166 square miles, or 
rather larger than that of the Isle of Wight. Its population 
is 171,893, or over 1033 to the square mile. With the 
exception of the Scotland District in the north-east, the 
island is of coral formation, and it is almost encircled by 
coral reefs, which in some parts, as, for example, off 
St. Philip, extend nearly three miles to seaward, and prove 
dangerous to navigation. The island is very flat, but it 
rises in terraces to a ridge in the parish of St. Andrew, culmi- 
nating in Mount Hillaby, the highest point, 1105 ft. high. 
The Scotland District, which is enclosed in a semicircular 
sweep of the ridge in the north-east, is composed of sand- 
stone, clays, and radiolarian and foraminiferal marls. The 
soil of the rest of the island, though remarkably fertile, has 
very little depth, and has undoubtedly been in part formed 
by successive eruptions of the Soufriere in St. Vincent, 
whose ashes, carried by an upper current of air for nearly 
100 miles, fell as recently as 1902 over the island. The 
first recorded fall occurred during the eruption of May 181 2. 
It caused the greatest consternation, and is still talked of 
as the fall of " May Dust." Barbados has no natural 
harbour, though the open roadstead of Carlisle Bay on the 
west is well sheltered, and there is a small inner harbour 

86 



BARBADOS 87 

or careenage protected by the Mole head, a structure of 
masonry. The island has no streams to speak of, owing to 
the porous nature of the soil, which permits the water to 
percolate the coral rock till it forms numerous subterra- 
nean channels and wells. These streams eventually find 
their way into the sea below the low-water mark, and at 
Freshwater Bay on the leeward coast, when one is bath- 
ing, the sand is forced up under the feet by the fresh 
water. The island is divided into eleven parishes : St. 
Michael (in which Bridgetown, the capital, is situated), 
Christ Church, St. Philip, St. John, St. Joseph, St. Andrew, 
St. Lucy, St. Peter, and St. James, with St. Thomas and St. 
George in the centre. 

INDUSTRIES. The principal industry of Barbados is 
sugar, which began to be manufactured successfully in the 
island about the middle of the seventeenth century. 
Barbados was the first place in the British dominions in 
which the sugar-cane was planted. Much of the cane juice 
is now manufactured into what is known as Fancy Syrup, 
which is marketed in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The 
area under sugar-cane cultivation is about 74,000 acres, and 
taking 315 gallons of syrup as equivalent to a ton of sugar, 
about 50,000 tons of sugar are secured from half that acreage 
every year. The Sea Island cotton industry was revived 
in 1902 with success, and the acreage under this form of 
cultivation amounts to nearly 2000 acres, from which about 
900,000 lbs. of lint are raised. The Chinese or Dwarf 
Banana (Musa Cavendishii) is also cultivated, and about 
40,000 bunches are now shipped from 100 acres of land. 
Manjak or glance pitch was for some years exported 
from several mines near the College estate, to the extent 
of about 500 tons per annum ; but the best mines have now 
been worked out and closed. Petroleum has been proved 
to exist in Barbados, and the West Indian Petroleum 
Company incurred considerable expense in boring for oil. 
A survey of the island was made by Mr. Cunningham Craig 
in 191 2, and the industry may soon be established on a com- 
mercial footing, provided that the planters can be induced 
to pull together. The principal exports in the year 191 2 
are given on the next page. 



88 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Sugar . . 28,732 hogsheads, value ^312,693 

Fancy Molasses 63,533 puncheons, ,, 301,876 

Choice Molasses 21,510 ,, ,, 81,739 

Cotton . . 415,887 lbs. ,, 26,191 



The direction of trade in the same year was : 



United Kingdom 
British Colonies 
Foreign Countries 
Coal for Bunkers 



Imports. 

£559,629 

374,755 
53i»°47 



Exports. 

£ 91,414 

777,333 

126,807 

90,015 



FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of 
Barbados is shown by the following comparative table of 
the revenue and expenditure, and the imports and exports, 
for the last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expenditure 


Imports.* 


Exports.* 




£ 


£ 


£ 


£ 


1903-4 . 


180,831 


176,309 


821,618 


552,891 


1904-5 . 


185,056 


178,797 


1,069,312 


860,982 


1905-6 


192,291 


180,932 


1,042,562 


935,844 


1906-7 


204,704 


186,016 


1,192,328 


932,966 


1907-8 


209,817 


188,296 


1,271,530 


935,256 


1908-9 


189,805 


198,865 


1,225,870 


948,178 


1909-10 . 


195,803 


199,625 


i,ii*9,343 


888,086 


1910-11 . 


213,298 


211,949 


1,345.194 


1,088,830 


1911-12 . 


221,906 


215,696 


i,539,7 IG 


1,005,931 


1912-13 . 


234,126 


230,339 


1,465,431 


1,085,569 



* For calendar years 1 903-191 3. 
CLIMATE. Barbados is undoubtedly the healthiest of all 
the West Indian Islands. The temperature, as a rule, 
varies from 75 ° Fahr. to 83 ° Fahr. ; the island enjoys the 
full benefit of the north-east trade-winds, and in the winter 
months the minimum mean temperature at night falls as 
low as 63 Fahr. The annual rainfall varies from about 
50 to 70 inches. The rainy season sets in about the 
beginning of June and lasts until the end of October. On 
the windward side, the climate is especially invigorating, 
and the island is much patronised by residents in neighbour- 
ing colonies as a health resort. The birth-rate is about ^6 
and the normal death-rate not more than 26 per thousand. 




StcovForcLs G-eo crap kical ~Estab * 



BARBADOS 89 

HISTORY. The actual date of the discovery of Barbados 
is uncertain, but it is said that it was visited by some 
Portuguese in 1536, who called the island " Los Barbudos " 
after the bearded fig-trees which they found there, and left 
behind them a stock of pigs. It was not until 1605 that 
the British took possession of the island. In that year the 
crew of a vessel called the Oliph Blossome, fitted out by Sir 
Oliph Leigh with stores and settlers for Guiana, landed on 
the leeward coast and erected a cross, inscribing on a tree 
near by, " James K. of E. and of this Island." The actual 
settlement was not, however, effected until twenty-one 
years later, when Sir William Courteen, a wealthy London 
merchant, hearing glowing accounts of Barbados from the 
crew of one of his vessels, which was compelled, through 
stress of weather, to touch there on the way from Brazil, 
decided to equip an expedition and send out settlers to it. 
This he did under the protection of the Earl of Marlborough, 
who received the promise of a patent which covered 
Barbados. Sir William Courteen's ship, the William and 
John, reached Barbados in 1626 with about forty emigrants, 
who landed and founded Jamestown or Hole Town, near the 
spot where the first landing was made. Though authorities 
have hitherto given the end of 1624 or the beginning of 1625 
as the date of the arrival of the party, a search of the island 
records has made it sufficiently clear that 1626 is actually 
the year from which the settlement of Barbados dates. 

On September 13, 1625, the island was included in the 
commission given to Warner, the coloniser of St. Kitts, his 
patron being the Earl of Carlisle, who, two years later, 
obtained from Charles I a grant of nearly all the 
Caribbean Islands. The Earl of Marlborough opposed it 
vigorously ; but the matter was compromised by Lord 
Carlisle agreeing to settle on him and his heirs an annuity of 
£300. All went well for a year, and then, while Lord Carlisle 
was absent on a mission, Sir William Courteen induced 
the Earl of Pembroke to lay claim to the island. The Earl 
was successful in obtaining a grant of it, but Lord Carlisle 
returned, and was reinstated. This nobleman then took 
active steps to strengthen his position. He offered land to 
private adventurers, and allotted 10,000 acres to nine 



90 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

London merchants. Sixty-four settlers landed under Wol- 
ferstone and proceeded to found St. Michael's Town, now 
Bridgetown. They became known as the Windward men, 
as opposed to Sir William Courteen's settlers, who were 
called the Leeward men, and in 1629, after a bitter struggle, 
the latter were overpowered. Lord Carlisle died, deeply 
involved, in 1636, leaving the Caribbee Islands in trust for 
the payment of his debts, with remainder to his son and 
heir. The latter transferred his interest to Lord Willoughby 
of Parham for twenty-one years. Lord Willoughby, soon 
after his arrival in the island, caused an Act to be passed 
acknowledging the King's right to dominion over Barbados, 
and this Act also recognised his own position. 

Many Royalist families found shelter in Barbados, and 
the island offered a stout resistance to the forces of the 
Commonwealth. Cromwell accordingly despatched to it a 
fleet of seven ships, under Admiral Sir George Ayscue. 
After a stubborn defence the Royalists yielded on honour- 
able terms, which were embodied in " Articles of Agree- 
ment " signed on January 11, 1652. Lord Willoughby was 
compelled to relinquish the government, and in the following 
years the population was swelled by Scotch and Irish exiles 
and " unruly' men " who were to be sold as white servants 
for seven years. At the Restoration thirteen gentlemen 
of Barbados were created baronets in consideration 
of their sufferings and loyalty during the Civil War. 
Lord Willoughby agitated for a revival of his rights, 
and on June 13, 1663, the Privy Council decided that half 
the annual profits derived from Barbados should go to him 
for the rest of his lease, with remainder to the Government, 
and one half towards the discharge of the Marlborough 
claim and to the payment of ^500 a year to the heirs of 
Carlisle. After the discharge of all liabilities, the heirs of 
Lord Carlisle were to receive ^1000 per annum. For the 
purpose of raising this money a duty of 4^ per cent, was 
imposed on all exports from the island. This was a constant 
source of grievance to the inhabitants, who in 1832 com- 
plained that they had through it been mulcted of no less 
a sum than ^6,000,000. In 1834 the Legislature of Barbados 
passed an Act remitting the duty ; but it was not finally 




.'<&. v 



%^ X »<" 1 ^^Q 












A topographic all Description and 
Admeasurement of trie YLAND of 

(BARBADOS m the We^ INDYAES 

Witktiielll llcuile^ of the Seueraii plcmtacorxs// 



.i £ 



'9 



"V: ft? «a ^-^^^ 











BARBADOS 91 

abolished until 1838, when it was repealed by an Act of 
the Imperial Government. 

CONSTITUTION. Barbados possesses representative in- 
stitutions without responsible government. They date 
from the Royal Charter of Charles I, June 2, 1627, and 
were confirmed by the Commonwealth in the articles of 
surrender of the island signed on January 1 1 , 165 2. Next to 
the House of Commons and the House of Assembly in 
Bermuda, the Barbados House of Assembly is the most 
ancient legislative body in the British dominions. The 
Government now consists of a nominated Legislative Council 
of nine members, and a House of Assembly, consisting of 
twenty- four members elected annually by the people on the 
basis of a moderate franchise. At general elections to the 
latter body there is frequently no contest, a fact which 
speaks volumes for the contented state of the inhabitants, 
who prefer to devote their time to the development of the 
island rather that to political strife, an example which 
might with advantage be followed elsewhere. The execu- 
tive functions of the Government are performed by an 
Executive Council which consists of the Governor, the 
Colonial Secretary, and the Attorney-General ex officio, and 
such other persons as may be nominated by the King, and 
an Executive Committee which consists of the Members 
of the Executive Council, one Member of the Legislative 
Council, and four Members of the House of Assembly 
nominated by the Governor. This Executive Committee 
introduces all money votes and Government measures and 
prepares the Estimates. 

Governors of Barbados since 1889 

Sir Walter J. Sendall, K.C.M.G. 1889 

Sir James S. Hay, K.C.M.G. 1892 

Sir Frederic M. Hodgson, K.C.M.G. 1901 

Sir Gilbert T. Carter, K.C.M.G. 1904 

Sir Leslie Probyn, K.C.M.G. 191 1 

HOTELS. Bridgetown. The Marine Hotel, Hastings, 
two miles from town. Tram-cars pass near the grounds. 
A good and airy hotel, conducted on the American system. 



92 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Rooms, light, and attendance, 4s. to 85. per day. Breakfast, 
3s. Luncheon, 3s. Dinner, 45. Board and lodging, 10s. 
to 15s. per day, or with rooms with baths, 16s. 8d. per day. 
Each meal served in room, is. \d. extra. The Balmoral 
Hotel, also at Hastings. Board and lodging, 85. 4^. to 
12s. 6d. per day. Breakfast or luncheon, 3s. ; dinner, 45. 
The Ice House Hotel, Lower Broad Street, Bridgetown, near 
the harbour. Board and lodging, 65. 3d. per day, £8 65. 8d. 
per month. Rooms, light, bath, and attendance, 3s. per 
day, or £3 2s. 6d. per month. Sea View Hotel, at the top of 
Garrison Hill, St. Michael's, close to the Savannah and 
Hastings Rocks. Rooms, light, and attendance, bath, and 
" coffee," 45. per day, or £4 35. 4^. per month. Board and 
lodging, 65. 3d. and 8s. 40". per day, £8 65. 8d. to £9 75. 6d. 
per month. Bay Mansion, conveniently situated in Bay 
Street, Bridgetown. Board and lodging, 6s. per day ; for 
a stay of over two months, £y 15s. per month. Hotel 
St. Lawrence, near St. Lawrence Chapel and Christ Church. 
Board and lodging, 6s. 3d. per day, £2 is. 8d. per week, 
£8 6s. 8d. per month. Tram-cars pass within walking 
distance of the hotel. Private houses can be hired at 
Hastings and along the St. Lawrence coast, where the 
bathing is excellent, and elsewhere for from £5 per month 
and upwards. 

The Crane, St. Philip. The Crane Hotel, on a cliff by 
the sea, thirteen miles from Bridgetown. Reached by rail- 
way, motor-car, or carriage. Room, including " coffee " 
and use of sea and fresh-water baths, 3s. per day. Board 
and lodging, 8s. \d. to 10s. 6d. per day, or from £2 10s. per 
week. 

Bathsheba, St. Joseph. Atlantis Hotel, beautifully 
situated. Train stops quite near the door. Board and lodg- 
ing, 6s. per day, £2 is. 8d. per week, or £j 10s. per month. 
Special arrangements for families. Beachmount Hotel (close 
to the railway station), 6s. 3d. and 8s. ^d. per day, £2 is. 8d. 
to £2 10s. per week. Children and nurses half price. 

Speightstown, St. Peter. Ebenezer House, conveniently 
situated. Meals can be obtained at short notice. 

MEANS OP COMMUNICATION. Barbados is served 
by steamship companies numbered 1* 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 



BARBADOS 93 

19, 23, 25, 26, 27 and 28 in the list on pages 14 to 27. 
Steamers anchor in the roadstead of Carlisle Bay, while 
boats and launches enter the Careenage, as the harbour 
is called. The tariff for boats is : from the wharf to 
any vessel, is. ; with one or two passengers and return, 
including a wait of a quarter of an hour, is. 8d., or half 
an hour, 2s. Between sunset and sunrise the boatmen 
are entitled to charge double fares. On the days of the 
arrival and departure of the mail steamers the boats, many 
of which are named after celebrities, are in great demand. 

Motor-cars and carriages are obtainable in Bridgetown 
from Messrs. Burton and Co., Pinfold Street, and Messrs. 
J. G. Johnson and Co., Coleridge Street. Motor-cars can 
be hired by the hour or day to carry four or five, at the 
Bridgetown Garage, Fort Royal ; the Barbados Garage Co., 
Westbury Road ; and the City Garage and Stable Co., 
Victoria Street ; and carriages from Goodridge and Co., 
Chapel Street, and various other stable proprietors. The 
usual charge for motor-cars is at the rate of is. per mile, but 
on the days of arrival of the tourist steamers the charge is 
from £6 to £8 per day, according to the size of the car and 
the number of seats in it. The two best motor drives are 
(1) to Hackleton's Cliff, St. John's Church, Codrington 
College, the Crane Hotel, Lord's Castle ; and (2) along the 
western coast by Hole Town and Speightstown to the 
Animal Flower Cave, Farley Hill and Cherry Tree Hill, 
and back by Cole's Cave. Each drive takes a day. The 
fare is about £6 per seat. Pair-horse carriage, about 
£1 13s. 4<2. per day, or ^14 per month. Single-horse, 16s. 8d. 
per day, or £y per month. Short drives at a low rate, 
according to time and distance. Cycles can be obtained 
from Newsam and Co., Beckwith Place, 2s. 6d. per day. 

A railway (2 ft. 6 in. gauge) owned by the Barbados 
Light Railway Ltd., runs under contract with the Colonial 
Government from Bridgetown, across the southern part of 
the island and up the Windward Coast to St. Andrew's 
(24 miles). The whole journey takes two hours. On 
several days in the week there is an early morning train, and 
every week-day an early afternoon train to St. Andrew's. 
Similarly on several days there is an afternoon train, and 



94 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

every week-day an early morning train from St. Andrew's 
to Bridgetown. A list of the first- and third-class fares 
(there is no second class) and stations, with their distances 
from Bridgetown, is given below : 







Miles from 
Bridgetown. 


Fares. 




i st Class. 


3rdClass. 


Bridgetown 

Kingston Wood Halt. 

Rouen 

Bulkeley . 

Windsor . 

Carrington 

Sunbury . 

Bushy Park 

Three Houses . 

College Siding Halt . 

Bath 

Martin's Bay Halt 

Bathsheba 

Joe's River Halt 

St. Andrew's . 




2* 

Si 

« 

?t 
ii 

I2f 

19* 

24 


s. d. 

3 
6 

9 

1 o 

i 3 
i 6 

i 9 

2 O 
2 6 
2 6 


s. d. 

if 
3 
4 
6 

7 
8 
8 

IO 
I O 
I O 



At the " Halts," trains stop to set down passengers on notice 
being given to the guard, and passengers may also be taken up 
at these places. Special through trains are run at low fares at 
short notice in the tourist season to Bathsheba, &c, on the 
pretty north-east coast, making the journey in much shorter 
time than the ordinary trains which stop at all stations. Full 
information as to time-tables, charges, &c, can be obtained in 
England from the Managing Director, Barbados Light Railway 
Ltd., Gwydir Chambers, 104 High Hoiborn, London, W.C., and 
in Barbados at the Manager's office. 

Bridgetown and Speightstown are kept in touch with 
one another by a service of smart schooners, as well as by 
road. 

SPORTS. There are many cricket and football clubs, 
including the Wanderers, the Pickwick, the Windward, and 
the Spartans. The Lodge School and Harrison College also 
have clubs. There is, too, a Country Club where tennis is 



BARBADOS 95 

played in the Rectory grounds, St. Peter. Nearly every 
house in town and country has a well-kept lawn, where 
either lawn-tennis or croquet is played. There are several 
lawn-tennis clubs, notably Belleville, Strathclyde, Bulkeley, 
and the Savannah, where play is above the average. Polo 
is played twice a week on the Garrison Savannah ; and 
under the auspices of the Barbados Turf Club, which 
is affiliated to the Jockey Club of England, race meetings 
are held periodically. 

There are private golf links at Codrington College, 
"Porters" and "Kent," and the Savannah has been 
leased to the Sports Club, which encourages racing, polo, 
lawn-tennis, and golf, the clock-tower being now the club- 
house of the Savannah Club. Sailing boats can be hired. 
Good line fishing can be had, as well as trolling for 
Barracouta with rod and line from sailing boats ; and the 
bathing is excellent at St. Anne's, Hastings, Warsaw, 
Worthing, the Crane, and Freshwater Bay. 

SOCIAL CLUBS. The Bridgetown Club, on the top 
floors of the handsome building of the Barbados Mutual 
Life Assurance Society in Beckwith Place, is one of the best 
social clubs in the West Indies and is open to visitors on 
introduction by a member. So too is the Junior Club 
in Trafalgar Square, and also the Union on the second floor 
of the Ice House Hotel in Lower Broad Street. The 
Savannah Club, on the Garrison Savannah referred to above, 
is also very hospitable. The club-house has a reading-room, 
drawing-room, card-room, &c. A Ladies' Club was formed 
in 19 1 2 with premises in Broad Street, and is well patronised. 
The Y.M.C.A. has its rooms in Trafalgar Square. 

Visitors are also admitted to the Free Library in Coleridge 
Street. The building was the gift of Mr. Andrew Carnegie, 
and the large collection of books which used to be kept in 
the Public Buildings was removed to it in 1906. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The first view of Barbados 
generally causes tourists who have pictured in their minds 
the beauties of tropical scenery some little disappointment. 
They see a long, greyish shore, relieved only here and there 
by tall palm-trees, waving casuarinas (Casuarina equiseti- 
folia), and an occasional aermotor. The island to the left 



96 POCKET CxUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

as one faces the shore is Pelican Island, on which the 
quarantine station is situated, while on the right is Need- 
ham 's Point. As there is no harbour accommodation for 
them, steamers visiting the port of Bridgetown lie in 
Carlisle Bay, an open roadstead which owes its name to 
the Earl of Carlisle, to whom Charles I granted the island 
in 1627. The wharf is reached by launch or shore boat, 
which enters the Careenage, a harbour of modest dimensions, 
the entrance of which is protected by a mole terminating 
in the " mole-head." The Customs Department and the 
Harbour Master's Office and Chamber of Commerce are on 
the wharf. Visitors to Barbados who are desirous of seeing 
the sights to the best advantage are recommended to visit 
the rooms of the Barbados Improvement Association in 
Synagogue Lane, where they will be able to obtain every 
information. 

Bridgetown, the capital (population 16,648), is hot and 
dusty. It derives its name from an Indian bridge which 
the first settlers found where the Chamberlain Bridge now 
is, and was called in its early days " The Bridge." 

Pere Labat, who visited the town in 1700, described it as 
handsome, with straight, wide, clean and well laid out streets. 
" The houses," he wrote, " are well built in the style of those 
in England with many glazed windows ; they are magnifi- 
cently furnished. In a word the whole place has an appear- 
ance of cleanliness, gentility and wealth which one does not 
find in the other islands. . . . The shops and merchants' 
warehouses are filled with all that one could want from every 
part of the world. One sees a number of goldsmiths, 
jewellers, clock-makers and other artificers ; . . . the 
largest trade in America is carried on here. ... It is 
said that the climate of the town is not good and that the 
swamp near by renders the place unhealthy. I never 
noticed this from the complexion of the inhabitants which is 
beautiful — especially that of the women. The place 
swarms with children, for every one is married and the 
women are very prolific." 

The chief shopping centres are in Broad, High, Roebuck 
and Swan Streets, where the " stores "—as the shops are 
called — are quite as good as those in most provincial towns 



BARBADOS 97 

in the Mother Country. On mail day and on Friday, which 
is known as planters' day, when planters flock into the city 
to discuss matters with their attorneys, the streets are 
particularly animated. The principal residential centres 
are in the suburbs of Belleville and Strathclyde. 

The chief thoroughfare is Broad Street, at one end 
of which is Beckwith Place (so called after Sir George 
Beckwith, K.B., Governor 1808 to 18 14), and at the other 
Trafalgar Square. The former is overlooked by the hand- 
some building of the Barbados Mutual Life Assurance 
Society, erected in the nineties at a cost of ^30,000. On the 
first floor are the offices of the Sugar Industry Bank and a 
spacious hall in which banquets are held. The Bridgetown 
Club occupies the whole of the second floor. The Fountain 
in Beckwith Place was the gift of Mr. John Montefiore. 
Behind the Barbados Mutual building are the Jubilee 
Gardens, laid out to commemorate Queen Victoria's 
Diamond Jubilee, and St. Mary's Church, which stands 
near the site of the first place of worship erected by the 
earliest settlers. The Public Market is in Cheapside, a 
little way beyond these gardens. The Cable Office of the 
West India and Panama Telegraph Company is at the 
corner of Lower Broad Street and McGregor Street. 

Trafalgar Square, which was formerly called the 
" Green," contains one of the earliest statues erected to the 
memory of Lord Nelson. It was once claimed to be quite 
the first, but an earlier one was erected in Montreal in 
1808. News of the hero's victory and death reached 
Barbados on December 20, 1805 ; there was a brilliant 
illumination three days later to celebrate the victory, 
while on January 5 a funeral sermon was preached at 
St. Michael's Church on the death of the hero. Sub- 
scriptions were invited towards the erection of the statue, 
and ^2300 was subscribed in a few weeks. The Green was 
purchased for ^1050, towards which sum the Legislature 
contributed ^500. The statue, which is of bronze, and 
represents the Admiral in full uniform, was erected on 
March 22, 1813. Lieutenant-General Sir George Beckwith, 
the Governor of Barbados, who had already laid the first 
stone of the pedestal on February 24 in that year, performed 

G 



98 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the ceremony of unveiling. The inscription on the pedestal 
runs : 

To the Memory of 
Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, K.B., 

Vice-Admiral of the White, 

The Preserver of the British West Indies 

In a moment of unexampled peril ; 

The Hero, whose various and transcendent merits, 

Alike conspicuous in address, decision, action and achievement 

Throughout his whole unparalleled career of glory, 

No powers of language can sufficiently delineate, 

This Statue 

was erected by 

The grateful inhabitants of Barbados, 

On a spot of ground appropriated to it 

By a public grant of 

The Colonial Legislature. 

In accordance with the solicitations of a select Committee, 

That so sincere though humble a tribute 

Of esteem, admiration, and gratitude to their 

Illustrious Deliverer 

Might be rendered more congenial 

To his generous and exalted spirit, 

From the hand of one, 

Himself a Hero and a Benefactor to this country, 

The first stone of the Pedestal was deposited by 

His Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir George Beckwith, K.B. 

The Beloved and Patriotic Governor of Barbados, 

And Commander of the Forces in the Leeward Islands 

February 24, a.d. 18 14. 

Esto Perpetua ! 

On the occasion of the Nelson centenary on October 21, 
1905, Trafalgar Square was again the scene of great 
rejoicings. The statue was decorated with flowers by day 
and illuminated at night, and the populace celebrated the 
event in a suitable manner. 

The Public Buildings, which form an imposing group in 
Trafalgar Square, are substantially built of coral rock hewn 
locally, the style being a modification of the Italian Re- 
naissance, the open arcades having Gothic instead of the 
usual rounded arches. They were erected from the designs 
of Mr. J. F. Bourne, Superintendent of Public Works, and 
opened in 1874. In the western wing, which is divided from 
the eastern by a drive studded with palms and other 
tropical trees, are shown the Council and Assembly rooms. 



BARBADOS 99 

The latter have stained glass windows, containing portraits 
of the sovereigns of England from James I. — during whose 
reign Barbados was first settled (see page 89) — to Victoria. 
In the Lobby there are paintings of the Hon. A. J. Pile and 
the Hon. T. Yearwood, late Speakers ; Sir John Sealey and 
W. M. Howard,* Members of the House of Assembly ; also 
engravings of the Hon. J. B. A. Lynch, Thomas Gill and 
Charles T. Cottley ; and a bronze bust of Sir Conrad 
Reeves, a former Chief Justice and an eloquent member of 
the House of Assembly. In the windows of the Council 
Chamber are the coats-of-arms of successive Presidents of 
the Council and Speakers of the House of Assembly. 
There are also portraits on the walls of two of the Earls 
of Harewood, whose family have long owned property 
in the islands, besides one of Governor Sir James Lyon, 
K.C.B., the inscription on which records that it was 
painted at the expense of the ladies of Barbados ; and one 
of the Hon. William Bishop, President of Barbados in 1800. 
In the eastern wing are the Post Office (overlooking Pal- 
metto Square) and the offices of various Government 
departments. 

In the enclosure between the two wings is a " Bearded 
Fig " tree (Ficus Barbadensis), planted in 1905 by Lady 
Carter on the occasion of the celebration of the tercentenary 
of our taking possession of the island. The small garden to 
the east of the buildings is known as the Fountain Garden. 
The Anglican Cathedral, also built of coral rock, stands 
in St. Michael's Row, to the east of the Public Buildings. 
It occupies a site presented by Colonel W. Sharpe, who 
lies buried under the altar (his gravestone can be seen), 
and it replaces a building erected in the seventeenth 
century which was blown down by the great hurricane 
of 1780. The cost of building the cathedral was defrayed 
mainly by the money raised by a lottery which was sanc- 
tioned by the Legislature. By means of this lottery 
the vestry raised ^5000 towards building the cathedral 
and ^5000 for the erection of the churches of St. Thomas, 

* W. M. Howard, who represented St. Philip and, later, St. 
Lucy for many years, was Father of the Agricultural Societies 
in Barbados. 



ioo POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

St. Lucy, St. George, and Christ Church. The font dates 
from 1680. The inscription round the top in Greek 
capital characters is a palindrome and reads : NI^ON 
ANOMHMA MH MONAN O^IN (" Wash the sin not merely 
the skin "). Also in contracted Greek cursive is the phrase 
"IctOl KciBapos (" Be thou clean "). By some it is still believed 
that the organ was originally designed for a Roman Catholic 
church and that it was being conveyed to one of the French 
islands when it fell into the hands of Lord Nelson, who sold 
or gave it to St. Michael's. The reredos is from a design by 
George Herbert Kitchin, son of the late Dean of Durham. 

The rooms of the Women's Self-Help Association in 
Trafalgar Square are a popular resort of visitors. The 
Association, which was started in 1907 by Lady Carter, 
the wife of the then Governor, with the support of the 
ladies of Barbados, does a useful work in relieving dis- 
tressed gentlefolk. There is a sale-room, where the work 
of the members, including embroidery, Island pottery, 
old jewellery, photographs, postcards, &c, can be purchased, 
in addition to luncheon, tea, and toilet rooms. 

The Central Police Station is in Coleridge Street, about a 
five minutes' walk from Trafalgar Square. The Free 
Library, also in Coleridge Street, was first established 
in 1847 with books taken from the Literary Society of 
Barbados and the Clerical Library. The building was 
the gift of Mr. Andrew Carnegie, and was opened in 1906. 
Above the Library is a lecture hall, which is also used for 
public entertainments. Adjoining is the Town Hall, 
where the Legislature met from 1729 to 1784. It now 
serves as the Law Courts. The cellar was formerly used as 
a prison. The Cotton Factory is about a hundred yards 
farther at a residence in the White Park Road which was 
formerly known as "Friendly Hall," and is owned by the 
Barbados Co-operative Cotton Factory Company Ltd. 
(A description of a cotton factory will be found on page 456.) 

After 1905, when the garrison was withdrawn from 
Barbados, Queen's House, just off the Constitution Road, 
the official residence of the officer commanding the troops, 
was purchased by the local government for ^3200, and the 
grounds, now known as Queen's Park, which are prettily 



BARBADOS 101 

laid out with a lake, terrace and parterres designed by Lady 
Carter, the wife of the Governor at the time, were thrown 
open to the public on June 10, 1909. They are within an 
easy walk of Trafalgar Square. 

Behind the Park are the buildings and grounds of 
Harrison College. Barbados has several higher-grade 
schools, the principal being this college and the Lodge, 
Combermere, Coleridge, Alleyne, and Parry schools* for 
boys, and Queen's College and the Alexandra school for 
girls, each receiving a Government grant, the total amount 
applied in this manner being ^2625. There are also 164 
primary schools for Protestants, Wesley ans, and Moravians, 

Government House is quite near Bridgetown and can 
be approached from Trafalgar Square by Constitution Road 
and Government Hill. The house, which is called '•' Pil- 
grim," was first used as the residence of the officer adminis- 
tering the government in 1703. It can be reached by 
tramcars which pass within 100 yards of the entrance. 

Washington's Residence. George Washington visited 
Barbados in 1751 with his brother Lawrence, who was an 
invalid. Mr. C. P. Clarke and Mr. N. Darnell Davis, after 
a search of the island records, are satisfied that Captain 
Richard Crofton's house in which the visitors stayed was 
one at the corner of Bay Street and Chelsea Road. George 
Washington sailed from Virginia on September 28, 1751, 
and arrived in Barbados on or about November 3, returning 
on board the Industry on December 22 in the same year. 
At first he and his brother experienced some difficulty in 
finding lodgings, until " We pitched on the house of Captain 
Crofton, commander of James's Fort. He was desired to 
come to town next day to propose his terms." These 
proved to be £1 5 a month, exclusive of liquor and washing, 
which " we find ourselves." Of the house Washington 
writes : " It is very pleasantly situated near the sea, and 
about a mile from town. The prospect is extensive by 

* These schools received their names from a Mr. Harrison 
(who founded a school for poor white boys), Lord Combermere 
(Governor from 1817 to 1820), Bishop Coleridge (1824 to 1842), 
Sir John Gay Alleyne (Speaker from 1766 to 1797), and Bishop 
Parry (1842 to 1872). 



102 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

land and pleasant by sea, as we command a view of Carlyle 
Bay and the shipping." 

The Savannah of St. Anne's is a fine open space of some 
fifty acres in extent, surrounded by a belt of handsome 
trees, a little over a mile from Bridgetown. Formerly it 
was the parade ground of the garrison, but since the with- 
drawal of the troops in 1905-6 it has been devoted to sports 
of various kinds. The central building with the clock tower 
is now the house of the Savannah Club, which organises 
games of polo twice a week and race meetings on a course 
round the Savannah periodically. The Club has several 
excellent tennis lawns and well-kept golf links. To the 
north of the club-house is the property known as Bush Hill, 
and at the intersection of the roads stands a monolith to the 
memory of fourteen soldiers and a married woman of the 
36th Regiment (now the 2nd Bn. Worcestershire Regiment), 
who were killed in the hurricane of 183 1. It is inscribed : 

Near this spot rest the remains of fourteen soldiers 

and one married woman of the 36th regiment who were 

killed by the destruction of the barracks and hospital 

during the awful visitation of the hurricane 

August iith, 1831. 

This Monument is erected by the Non-Commissioned 

Officers and Privates of the same Corps as a tribute 

of respect to the Memory of their Departed Comrades. 

Peace to their Remains. 

John Lowther Fecit. 

The hurricane, which took place on August 11, was one 
of exceptional violence. Sir James Lyon, the then Governor, 
in his official report, which was published in the London 
Gazette of October 27, said : 

On the evening of the 10th the sun set on a landscape of the 
greatest beauty and fertility, and rose on the following morning 
over an utter desolation and waste. The prospect at the break 
of day on the nth inst. was that of January in Europe — every 
tree, if not entirely rooted up, was deprived of its foliage and 
of many of its branches ; every house within my view was 
levelled with the ground, or materially damaged ; and every 
hour brought intelligence of the most lamentable accidents, and 
of very many shocking deaths. 

This monolith was originally erected near the Military 
Hospital at Hastings. 



BARBADOS 103 

At the cross roads beyond the Grand Stand is another 
somewhat severe monument, to the memory of Lieut. - 
Colonel Patrick Henderson and of the officers and men of 
the Royal York Rangers who fell in action in the campaign 
in Martinique, the Saintes and Guadeloupe in 1809-10. It 
is inscribed : 

Sacred 

to THE 

Memory of Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Henderson, 

of the York Light Infantry Volunteers, 

Who expired at Guadeloupe, as Major Commanding 

the Royal York Rangers, on the 28th of August, 1810, 

ignorant of the promotion conferred upon him 

by his Sovereign for his brilliant and important 

services at the head of this corps during the 

CAMPAIGNS OF 1809 AND l8lO, 
AT 

Martinique and Guadeloupe. 

This Tablet 

is inscribed 

by 

Lieutenant-General Sir George Beckwith, K.B., 

Commander of the Forces, 

as a mark not only of private friendship, but as a 

testimony of public respect for his military 

character. 

To the Memory 

OF 

THE UNDER-NAMED OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS 

OF 

The Royal Rangers 

Who fell in action in the Army commanded by 

Lieut. -General Sir George Beckwith, K.B., at the 

Reduction of the French Colonies of Martinique, 

the Saintes, and Guadeloupe in 1809 and 1810 

Lieutenants. — John Symons, P. G. Copley, Sam Gregg, 

Robt. Martineau 

Serjeants.— Sylvan Nannoo, J as. Maxwell, J. B. Rodgerson 

Corporals. — Chas. Collins, Wm. Knight, Wm. Lee. 

Drummer. — Jas. Foley. 

[The names of forty-three privates follow.] 

St. Anne's Castle, a quaint fort facing the bay, was 
erected in 1703 by Sir Bevil Granville, in honour of Queen 
Anne. 

Hastings Rocks (20 minutes by tram) is another lung 



104 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

of Bridgetown, where the band plays periodically. It 
commands a charming view of the sea. Beyond Hastings 
are the seaside villages of Worthing and St. Lawrence, 
where excellent bathing can be obtained. 

Country Excursions 

The country excursions which can be made from Bridge- 
town are numerous, and each one of them can be enjoyed 
in a day or less. The Windward Coast, however, deserves 
a much longer stay. 

The Cotton Tower, St. Joseph (i hour by motor, i| 
hours by carriage), once a signal station, is the third 
highest position in the island (1091 ft.). It stands at the 
top of a narrow defile, leading towards St. Joseph's Church, 
which has been called the Devil's Bowling Alley. 

St. John's Church (14 miles ; 1 hour by motor-car, 
1^ hours by carriage from Bridgetown) stands at a short 
distance from the edge of a cliff 824 ft. high, which 
commands an extensive view of the coral-fringed Wind- 
ward Coast. In the churchyard is pointed out the 
tomb of Ferdinando Paleologus, the last descendant of 
the Greek Christian Emperors of that name, who were 
driven from Constantinople by the Turks. He was the 
son of Theodoro Paleologus (who was buried at Llan- 
dulph in Cornwall) by his wife Mary Balls, and he was 
successively vestryman, sidesman, churchwarden, and 
trustee of St. John's Church in the seventeenth century. 
The tradition of the death and burial of a Greek prince 
from Cornwall was for many years current in Barbados ; 
and when the Church of St. John was destroyed by the 
hurricane of 1831, the coffin of Ferdinando Paleologus was 
discovered in the vault of Sir Peter Colleton under the 
organ loft. The remains were reinterred in a vault belong- 
ing to Josiah Heath, Esq., in 1906, and a memorial stone was 
erected by public subscription to mark the place where 
they now rest. The memorial, made of Portland stone, 
represents the porch of a Greek temple, with Doric columns 
and with the cross of Constantine in the centre. It bears 
the following inscription, the wording of which was borrowed 



BARBADOS 105 

as far as possible from the monument of Theodoro Paleologus 
in Llandulph Church, Cornwall : 

HERE LYETH YE BODY OF 

FERDINANDO PALEOLOGUS 

DESCENDED FROM YE IMPERIAL LYNE 

OF YE LAST CHRISTIAN 

EMPERORS OF GREECE 

CHURCHWARDEN OF THIS PARISH 

1655-1656, 

VESTRYMAN, TWENTYE YEARS. 

DIED OCT. 3. 1678. 

The altar desk in the church, presented by Mr. J. C. Lewis, 
is inscribed " M.X. to F. Paleologus, Obt. 1678." 

The church was erected at a cost of ^4000 in 1836 to 
replace one built in 1676 which was completely destroyed 
by the hurricane of 183 1. It has a handsome set of silver- 
gilt altar plate, presented by Mr. Robert Haynes. The 
stained glass windows were the gifts of the Thomas and 
Gittens families ; the wooden pulpit, carved by a local 
craftsman, was given by Mr. George Sealy, and the Caen 
stone font with marble columns by Dr. Thomas. 

From Hackleton's Cliff, St. Joseph, which is 997 ft. 
high (12 miles ; 1 hour by motor, 2 hours by carriage from 
Bridgetown) the view over St. Andrew's and the hilly 
Scotland District of the island is even more attractive 
than that from St. John's Church. Dealing with it in 
his "History of Barbados," the Rev. G. Hughes quoted 
Glover's description of the Straits of Thermopylae : 

There the lofty cliffs 
Of woody Aeta overlook the Pass ; 
And far beyond, o'er half the surge below, 
Their horrid umbrage cast. 

Mr. Hughes mentions also that when we first settled 
the island catacombs were found dug out of the rocks in 
the face of this cliff, " where lie the Remains of those, 
who, like the Patriarchs of old, procured to themselves 
Places of Re/t." 

Bowmanston Waterworks, St. John (1 hour by motor, 
i£ hours by carriage). One of the principal sources 
of water-supply for Barbados is an underground stream 



106 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

at Bowmanston in St. John's parish. The water is 
pumped from a cave 250 ft. below the surface and 350 ft. 
above sea-level. This cave, which is of great geological 
interest, varies in width from 10 ft. to 30 ft. and from 35 ft. 
to as much as 50 ft. in height. The water runs with great 
speed in a southerly direction and has a daily average flow 
of three million imperial gallons. The water percolates 
through the coral rock, which absorbs the rainfall very 
readily. The engines at the pumping station can raise two 
million gallons daily. Waterworks were first established in 
Barbados in 1 861, and the island now has a splendid system 
of water-supply, as the numerous and well patronised 
standpipes (sometimes called by the blacks ' ' Queen 
Victoria's pumps ") all over the island demonstrate. 

One of the most picturesque, and at the same time 
interesting, places in the island is Codrington College 
(15 miles ; i£ hours by motor-car, 2 hours by carriage, 
1 hour by rail to College Siding), which stands on the 
side of a hill overlooking the sea on the Windward Coast. 
Codrington, which is the oldest university college in 
the West Indies, is affiliated to Durham. It was founded 
by Christopher Codrington, Governor-General of the 
Leeward Islands, who died in 1710, and bequeathed 
two sugar estates, " Consett's " and " Codrington's " — 
now called " College " and " Society " — which consisted of 
763 acres, three windmills with the necessary building for 
the cultivation of sugar, 315 negroes, and 100 head of cattle, 
to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, in trust 
for the maintenance of a convenient number of professors 
and scholars, " all of them to be under the vows of poverty, 
chastity, and obedience ; who shall be obliged to study 
and practise Physic and Chirurgery, as well as Divinity ; 
that by the apparent usefulness of the former to all man- 
kind they may both endear themselves to the people and 
have the better opportunities of doing good to men's souls, 
whilst they are taking care of their bodies." At that time 
the plantations were computed to yield a net income of 
£2000 clear of all charges. The erection of the college 
buildings was begun in 1716, and the masonry was finished 
in 1 72 1 ; but it was many years before the college was 




1/5 G 



- « 



BARBADOS 107 

completed, owing to a debt due to the Society from the 
estates, which was not cleared off until 1738. The stone 
used, which is a conglomerate of limestone, was taken from 
the hill behind the college, and the timber was brought, at 
Government expense, in ships of the Royal Navy from 
Tobago and St. Vincent. The college was first opened as a 
grammar school on September 9, 1745. Hurricanes and 
other disasters impoverished the estates, and it was not 
until 1834 that it was placed on a proper academic 
footing by Bishop Coleridge. In 1875 it was affiliated to 
Durham. Successive Principals have been : Rev. J. H. 

i Pinder, 1830 ; Rev. Richard Rawle, 1 846-1 864 ; Rev. 

J W. T. Webb, 1 864-1 884 ; Rev. A. Caldecott, 1 884-1 886 ; 
Bishop Rawle, 1 888-1 889; the Rev. (now Archdeacon) T. 
H. Bindley, 1890-1909; and Rev. A. H. Anstey. In 
1898 Codrington College passed through a serious crisis, the 
revenue from the sugar estates being insufficient for its main- 
tenance, but with the help of the West India Committee an 
emergency fund was raised and an impending calamity 
averted. 

A walk of twenty minutes up the hillside from Bath 
Station on the railway (15^ miles by train from Bridgetown) 
brings the visitor to the handsome college buildings. In 
front of them is a broad lake, behind which rises a hill. 
On it is situated the " Society " Chapel and graveyard, 
a prominent feature of which is a cairn of stones, sur- 
mounted by a granite monolithic cross, under which lie the 
remains of Bishop Rawle. The cairn is inscribed : 

RICHARD RAWLE BISHOP 

PRINCIPAL 

OF 

CODRINGTON COLLEGE 

BORN l8ll 

DIED 1889 

The best view of the college buildings is obtained from 
this position. On the left is the Principal's residence, 
formerly the " Great House " of the estate and one of 
the oldest as well as the most handsome buildings in 
Barbados. On the right is the college proper, with lecture 



108 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

rooms, dining-hall, and chapel below, and the students' 
quarters above, the whole being by no means unlike 
the so-called " New Buildings " at Magdalen College, 
Oxford. The chapel, which is beautifully panelled with 
cedar and mahogany, was first used on St. Barnabas' Day, 
1748. The glass mosaic of the "Good Shepherd," the 
work of James Powell of Whitefriars, was presented by 
Mr. William Grey, afterwards Lord Stamford, and friends in 
1 882. The brass chandelier was the gift of Mr. Henry Pratt 
and St. John's Parish, and the lectern was subscribed for 
by the Bishops of the Province, who held their Synod at 
the College in 1887. The mahogany sanctuary rails and 
gates are good examples of local work, while the altar, 
with beautiful pedestals of ebony cordia and lignum 
vitse, was fashioned by Benjamin Thorne, a native cabinet- 
maker. Behind the high table in the hall is a bust of the 
founder copied by Grimsley of Oxford from the statue 
by Sir Henry Cheere in the Library of All Souls, of which 
Codrington was also a benefactor. It was presented by 
the Warden and Fellows of All Souls, and was placed in 
position in 1843. Above the bust and over the doors 
on either side are the arms of Archbishop Howley, President 
of the S.P.G., by whom the college was opened, and Dr. 
Coleridge, Bishop of Barbados, first visitor of the College. 
A magnificent avenue of cabbage palms or palmistes 
(Oreodoxa oleracea) leads from a triple arched portico, 
which divides the chapel from the hall, to the foot of 
the hill, and a row of these stately trees also fringes the 
lake, contributing in no small degree to the beauty of the 
scene. Many of the trees, which are fully 80 ft. in height 
— the tallest is over 100 ft. — are computed to be more than 
one hundred years old. Two royal palms were planted at 
the end of the avenue nearest to the belfry on December 31, 
1879, by Princes Albert Victor and George of Wales. But 
the one planted by Prince Albert Victor died, and when in 
1892 the news of the death of the beloved Prince reached 
the island, the negroes were not at all surprised. " We 
knew Prince Eddy die soon," they said, " his cabbage die " ! 
Kingsley first saw cabbage palms, which form such a 
conspicuous feature of West Indian scenery, in St. Kitts, 



BARBADOS 109 

and he was much struck by their beauty. " Grey pillars, 
which seemed taller than the tallest poplars, smooth and 
cylindrical as those of a Doric temple. ... It was not easy 
... to believe that these strange and noble things were 
trees," he wrote. The college possesses a large swimming 
bath. On the beams supporting the roof are the following 
lines, the first four of which are from Samuel Rogers' 
" Epistle to a Friend," while the others were composed by 
Principal Rawle : 

Emblem of life which, still as we survey, 
Seems motionless, yet ever glides away. 
Emblem of youthful wisdom to endure, 
Still changing yet unchangeably still pure. 
Like this fresh cleansing wave still useful be, 
Though rough thy passage to the boundless sea. 
Still in that sea thou shalt not stagnant lie, 
But ever useful tasks of blessing ply. 

And on the reverse side of the beams : 

Of sacred scenes these crystal streams may tell, 
Bethesda's pool or soft Siloam's well. 
Enjoy the pleasures these pure waters give, 
But think of those which make the bathers live. 
There is a fountain, Holy Scriptures say, 
Where souls may bathe and sins be washed away. 
Let all thy studies help thee Him to know 
Through Whom for thee those heavenly waters flow. 

Bathsheba, St. Joseph (14 miles ; i£ hours by motor- 
car, 2 hours by carriage, igf- miles by rail, from Bridgetown), 
a popular seaside resort, and Chalky Mount, both on the 
Windward Coast, are reached by the Barbados Light 
Railway. From Bathsheba the Potteries on the top of the 
" Mount " can be visited. They are difficult to approach 
by carriage. Here the crude, though picturesque earthen- 
ware "guglets," "monkeys," and "conerees," as they 
are called according to their shape, are fashioned by 
skilful black artificers at their very primitive potter's 
sheds. At Bathsheba it is pretty to see the flying fish 
fleet return after its labours. The little vessels of about 
16 ft. in length of which it is composed pick their way 
through the openings of the coral reef, and it seems 
remarkable that they are not upset. Each boat is manned 



no POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

by the proverbial two men and a boy and each carries 
three nets. The owner gets a third of the proceeds of 
each day and the rest is divided. There are about two 
hundred boats on the coast and they are busily employed, 
except during the three hurricane months when they do 
not go out at all. The most enjoyable way of seeing 
Chalky Mount is to make up a picnic party and go by 
train, and lunch at the "Benab" just under the Mount, 
a bungalow belonging to Mr. R. H. Emptage. From 
there the Potteries can be reached afoot. Chalky Mount, 
which rises almost from the beach to a height of 571 ft., 
is composed of clay and limestone with some ferruginous 
deposit. It is very rugged and consequently a stiff 
climb. Indeed, except by a goat track on the west 
side it is almost inaccessible. The hill has three peaks, 
and its geological formation is very curious, the dis- 
turbed strata, which owing to the absence of vegeta- 
tion can easily be seen except on the lower slopes, pointing 
to former convulsions, some say of a volcanic nature. 
Apart from the Benab there are no houses nearer than 
two miles, and passing trains once or twice a day are 
the only reminder of civilisation in this lonely spot. 

The Crane, St. Philip (14 miles ; if hours by motor, 
2 hours by carriage from Bridgetown), on the rugged 
south-east coast, is much resorted to for health and 
pleasure. It can be reached by carriage or by train 
to Bushy Park and thence by carriage, or by motor-car. 
It was once an important shipping place and took its 
name from the crane which was used in hoisting produce 
and goods. The coast here is rugged and very picturesque. 
To the south is a delightful pool called the Mare, while to 
the north is the celebrated Dawlish Bounce, where a sea- 
water bath can be enjoyed without the bather going into 
the sea. 

Long Bay or Lord's Castle, St. Philip (1 hour by 
motor, 2 hours by carriage), is situated about a mile from 
the Crane Hotel. It is one of the finest mansions in the 
West Indies, but for many years it has been unoccupied. 
The present structure was built in 1820 for Mr. Samuel 
Hall Lord, to replace the original building, which dated 



BARBADOS m 

from 1780, In shape it is square ; it has four entrances 
approached by black and white marble steps, and is 
surmounted with battlements. The walls are immensely 
thick, and well calculated to withstand hurricanes. In 
1 83 1 the outside of the house was being repaired when 
it was struck by the terrific cyclone of August 11, and 
though the scaffolding was carried off by force of the 
wind and deposited in the mill-yard of the Three Houses 
Estate, three miles away, the building was uninjured. 
The chief features of the interior are the handsome ceilings 
in plaster-work. A man named Warren was brought out 
to do the work in the old slavery days as a militiaman, 
when the planters were bound by law to leaven their 
holding of blacks with a certain number of white men. 
But though he is generally credited with it he really did 
very little, the bulk being done by one Charles Rutter, 
whose son was recently employed to repair the ceilings. 
The work took Rutter and Randals, who was also brought 
out, three and a half years to complete. At the end of 
the long drawing-room and dining-room there are handsome 
mahogany columns made from trees grown in the island. 
The large looking-glasses, now dulled by age, convey 
some idea of the magnificent scale on which the house 
was furnished, and it is recorded that it was filled with 
priceless china and Chippendale furniture, of which a few 
specimens still remain. The present owner of the house, 
which Schomburgk describes as "an oasis in the desert," 
is Mr. William H. Trollope. Before the lighthouse at 
Ragged Point was erected, the wrecks on the Cobblers, 
a long low coast reef which almost closes in Long Bay, 
were significantly numerous, and many were the weird 
tales of lanterns tied to the branches of the coco-nut 
trees to snare sailors to their doom which used to be 
recounted by the " oldest inhabitants." A large number 
of the coco-nut trees, under which the fallow-deer roamed, 
still remain. 

Ragged Point, St. Philip (15 miles ; 1 hour by motor, 
2 hours by carriage). This lighthouse is generally the 
first landmark sighted on nearing Barbados. The view of 
the Atlantic from it is very fine, and the spot is a favourite 



ii2 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

pleasure resort. The little island near by is known as 
Culpepper's Island. 

Visitors interested in social questions or in agriculture 
should obtain permission to inspect Dod's Reformatory, 
also in St. Philip, which was established in 1883. On the 
lands attached to it is a botanical station where sugar-cane 
seedling experiments are conducted. 

On the way to or from Lord's Castle Christ Church (J hour 
by motor-car, 1 hour by carriage) can be visited. It was 
erected in 1837 from designs by Captain Senhouse, R.N., 
at a cost of ^4000, to replace a building destroyed by the 
hurricane of 1831. 

For those of a psychological turn of mind, a visit to the 
churchyard has a peculiar and absorbing interest. A 
strange occurrence took place there in 1820, the cause 
of which has never been satisfactorily explained. When- 
ever a certain vault, which had been hermetically sealed, 
was opened, the coffins which it contained were found 
in a state of confusion. It was generally believed 
that this was due to some supernatural agency. Whether 
this was so or not it must be left to the reader to judge 
after the perusal of the following authentic account, 
compiled by the late Hon. Forster M. Alley ne in 1908 : 

The " Barbados Coffin Story " has been told many times : 
by Sir Robert Schomburgk in his " History of Barbados " ; 
by Viscountess Combermere in the life of her husband, Governor 
of the island at the time the event occurred, who based her 
account on an anonymous pamphlet entitled " Death Deeds " ; 
by Mr. Robert Reece in the columns of Once a Week, and, perhaps, 
by many others. I myself heard the story from the lips of Sir 
Robert Bowcher Clarke, who was present at the opening of the 
vault, and my own father, though not present at the opening, 
was in the island at the time, and made mention of it to his sister 
in England, as is evidenced by a letter from her to him, which 
is still in my possession. Some months ago Mr. Andrew Lang 
wrote to me that a similar disturbance among coffins had taken 
place in the public cemetery at Arensburg, on the island of 
Oesel, in the Baltic, in 1844, as detailed by R. Dale Owen in 
his " Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World." Numerous 
high authorities were quoted for the verification of this event, 
and it is stated that an official inquiry was made into the cir- 
cumstance, and the report was signed by all its members and 
placed on record in the consistory, where it "is to be found 



BARBADOS 113 

among its archives, and may be examined by any traveller." 
An inquiry by the Society for Psychical Research revealed the 
fact that there is no such document in existence, nor is any such 
story known to the owner of the vault. 

I therefore asked myself, what authentic evidence had we 
to prove that our Barbados story was really true ? That it 
was so, I had not the smallest doubt, but how could I prove it ? 
Indeed Mr. Lang wrote to me saying that he had read a paper 
before the Folk-Lore Society on the subject, and it was received 
very sceptically by the President, and, in fact, was treated with 
scant interest. I therefore determined to see if I could not 
obtain first-hand authentic proof. My first step was to go 
to Christ Church, the place where the vault is situated. I 
examined the Burial Register and found the names of the occu- 
pants of the vault, as will be given below, and their interments 
duly attested by the Rector, Dr. Orderson, but absolutely 
without comment, and not the smallest hint that anything 
extraordinary had taken place. I had the Parochial Treasurer's 
accounts examined, thinking that some clue might be obtained 
from them, but there was nothing. Neither do the files of 
contemporary newspapers which are still extant make any 
mention of it. Some time afterwards, when I was almost in 
despair, for I had only discovered several old copies of lists of 
the interments, evidently furnished by Dr. Orderson, with 
comments on the disturbances among the coffins, I heard acci- 
dentally that the Hon. Nathan Lucas, M.L.C., whose name is 
always mentioned as having been present at the opening of the 
vault on April 18, 1820, together with Lord Combermere and 
others, had left a large number of manuscript volumes. These 
are all written in his own hand and contain copies of old records, 
as well as notes of topographical and archaeological interest, 
and narrations of other occurrences within his memory. I 
found that some of them had passed into the possession of 
Mr. Racker, the proprietor of the Agricultural Reporter, who 
kindly lent me one of them, which contains a detailed account 
of the opening of the vault. This, then, is an absolutely authentic 
document ; it is in the handwriting of Mr. Nathan Lucas, who 
was himself an eye-witness, and is attested by the then Rector 
of Christ Church, the Rev. Thomas D. Orderson, D.D. It also 
contains drawings of the vault, and of the position of the coffins, 
made on the spot by the Hon. Major Finch, Lord Combermere' s 
A.D.C., and similarly attested by Dr. Orderson. 

I now transcribe Mr. Nathan Lucas' statement, which has 
never before been printed ; it is stamped with truth in every 
word, and the original of it is still extant. I need only add that 
it was always believed that Lord Combermere sent home to 
England an official account of the occurrence duly certified ; 
but a careful search at the Record Office has hitherto produced 
no results, It is fortunate, therefore, that in the original of 
the subjoined narrative we have a document which places the 
truth of the story beyond all cavil. 

H 



ii 4 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

"This Vault," it runs," is in the west end of the Churchyard, next 
the wall of the stable. Part is dug out of the live rock ; all the 
rest is wall, arched at the top. The rock is the common Lime 
Stone of the Island. It is an appurtenance to Adam's Castle 
Estate, which formerly belonged to the family of Walrond, from 
whom it passed to the Elliots, and is still called ' Walrond 's 
Plantation.' How it came to the family of Adams I am not 
informed. The entrance into it, over the steps, is closed with 
a ponderous slab of blue Devonshire marble ; the front is closed 
with a double wall, from top to bottom, an inner and outer, not 
united. On the tombstone is the following inscription, exactly 
copied for me by the Rector of the parish, the Revd. Doctor 
Thomas Harrison Orderson : 

" 'Here lies the body of 

The Honble. James Elliot, Esq., 

Son of the Honble. Richard Elliot, Esq., 

He married Elizabeth the daughter of 

The Honble. Thomas Walrond, Esq., of this Island, 

He was brave, hospitable and courteous 

Of great Integrity in his Actions ; 
And conspicuous for his judgement and 

Vivacity in conversation. 

After his merit had advanced him to the 

Honour of being one of His Majesty's Council 

He was snatched away from us 

The 14.TH of May Anno Domini 1724 

in the 34th year of his age, 

And died lamented by all who knew him. 

In honour to his memory his truly sorrowful 

Widow has erected this Tomb.' 

' ' In this vault the leaden coffins having been found displaced 
several times, it became a matter of curiosity and inquiry ; and 
being at Eldridge's Plantation, next the Church, in Company 
with the Right Honble. Lord Combermere, on a visit to the 
Proprietor, Robert Bowcher Clarke, Esq., on the 18th of April, 
1820, it became a subject of conversation at noon, when the 
negroes were coming home from the field. We took eight or 
ten of the men directly with us to the Churchyard, to open the 
Vault, and sent off for the Rector, The Revd. Dr. Thos. H. 
Orderson, who very soon arrived. His Lordship, myself, Robert 
Bowcher Clarke, and Rowland Cotton, Esq., were present during 
the whole time. 

" On our arrival at the Vault, every outward appearance was 
perfect, not a blade of grass or stone touched ; indeed collusion 
or deception was impossible ; for neither ourselves nor the 
negroes knew anything of the matter ; for the subject was 
hardly- started in conversation before we set out for inspection ; 
and the Churchyard cannot exceed half a mile from Eldridge's. 



BARBADOS 



ii5 



The annexed drawing with the references was made for me at 
the instance of the Doctor, copied from one sketched on the 
spot by the Honble. Major Finch, who very soon joined our 
party at the Vault. The following particulars were obligingly 
supplied by the Doctor. I was present from beginning to 
end : and no illusion, trick, or deception could have been 
practised. 

" ' Parish of Christ Church. In the Churchyard there is a 
Vault, which by the Inscription on the Tomb belongs to the 
Elliot family, in which Vault no person had been buried for 
many years. In July 1807, application was made to the Rector 
to permit the remains of Mrs. Thomasina Goddard to be interred 
in the Vault ; and when it was opened for her reception, it was 
quite empty, without the smallest appearance of any person 
having been buried there. Mrs. Goddard was buried July 31st, 
1807. February 22nd, 1808, Mary Anna Maria Chase,- Infant 
daughter of the Honble. Thomas Chase was buried in the same 
Vault in a Leaden Cofhn. When the Vault was opened for the 
reception of the Infant, the Coffin of Mrs. Goddard was in its 
proper place. July 6th, 18 12, Dorcas Chase, daughter of the 
Honble. Thomas Chase was buried in the same Vault. Upon 
the Vault being opened for her reception, the two Leaden Coffins 
were evidently removed from the situation in which they had 
been placed ; particularly the Infant, which had been thrown 
from the North East corner of the Vault where it had been placed, 
to the opposite angle : The Coffin was nearly upright in the 
corner, but the head was down to the ground. September the 2 5th, 
1 8 16, Samuel Brewster Ames, an Infant was buried; and the 
Leaden Coffins, when the Vault was opened, were removed from 
their places, and were in much disorder. November 17th, 1816, 
the Body of Samuel Brewster (who had been murdered in the 
Insurrection of Slaves on the 15th of April preceding and who 
had been previously buried in the Parish of St; Philip) was 
removed and interred in the Vault, and great confusion and 
disorder were discovered in the Leaden Coffins. July 7th, 18 19, 
Thomasina Clarke was buried in the same Vault, and upon its 
being opened much confusion was again discovered among the 
Leaden Coffins. 

" 'N.B. — When Miss Clarke was buried, the Coffin of Mrs. 
Goddard had fallen to pieces ; and was tied up in a small bundle, 
between Miss Clarke's coffin and the Wall; and on April 18th, 
1 820, the bundle was in situ. At each time the Vault was opened, 
the coffins were replaced in their proper situations ; and the 
mouth of the Vault was regularly closed and cemented by Masons, 
in the presence of the Rector and some other persons. On the 
7th of July, 1 819, private marks had been made at the mouth of 
the Vault in the Mason work, and on the 18th day of April 1820 
the marks 10 ere perfect. 

" 'On the 1 8th day of April 1820 the Vault was opened at the 
request of Lord Combermere, in the presence of his Lordship 



Leaden Miss Th Qarke \ Wooden 

Coffins. I Coffins. 



116 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

The Honble. Nathan Lucas, Robert Bowcher Clarke, and Row- 
land Cotton, Esq. The two annexed drawings represent the 
situation of the Coffins. No. i as they were left on the 7th of 
July, 1 8 19 ; and No. 2 the situation they were found in the 
1 8th April, 1820. [The drawings are not reproduced.] 

" ' Mary Anna Maria^ 
Chase 
Dorcas Chase were in Mrs Goddard f were in 

Honble. Thomas 

Chase 
S. B. Ames and 
S. Brewster 

'" Since the 1 8 th of April, 1820, all the Coffins have been removed 
from the Vault at the desire of Mrs. Chase, and have been buried 
in a grave, and the Vault still continues open. The Vault is 
dug in the ground, about two feet in the live rock ; and the 
descent into it is covered with a large block of blue Devonshire 
marble ; which will take some hours to be removed and replaced 
again in its proper situation. It will take at least four able 
men to remove the stone. 

" ' Certified March 26th, 1824. 

" 'T. H. Orderson, D.D. 

'"Rector. 
" ' For The Honble. Nathan Lucas.' 

" In England, at this day, the body is first enclosed in a shell ; 
that in lead, and lastly, the Coffin of State without all, ornamented, 
etc. 

" In Barbados, it is otherwise; the body is put at once into 
a Coffin of State, etc., and that is inclosed in Lead, at the Grave, 
and is without the wooden Coffin. 

" The Children's coffins were placed upon bricks in the Vault. 
Mr. Chase's on the Rock, the bottom of the Vault. Now how 
could one of the Leaden Coffins be set upon end against the wall ? 

" Why were the coffins of wood in situ ? and why was the 
bundle of Mrs. Goddard's decayed Coffin found where it had 
been left ? Wood certainly would first float. There was no 
vestige of water to be discovered in the Vault ; no marks where it 
had been ; and the Vault is in a level Churchyard, by no means 
in a fall much less in a run of water. Earthquake could not have 
done this without levelling the Churchyard to the ground. 

" Being informed some time after that a similar occurrence 
had been said to have happened in England, I had the account 
looked for, and the following copy was given to me ; I did not 
see the work from whence it was extracted, but I have no reason 
to doubt the accuracy of it. 

" From the European Magazine for September 181 5. 
" ' The Curious Vault at Stanton in Suffolk.' 
"(Qy. Which of the Stantons ? N.L.) 



BARBADOS 117 

" ' On opening it some years since, several Leaden Coffins, 
with wooden cases, that had been fixed on biers, were found 
displaced to the great astonishment of many inhabitants of the 
village. The Coffins were placed as before, and properly closed : 
when some time ago, another of the family dying, they were a 
second time found displaced ; and two years after, they were 
not only found all off the biers, but one coffin as heavy as to 
require eight men to raise it was found on the fourth step that 
leads into the Vault.' 

" Whence arose this operation, in which it is certain no one 
had a hand ? N.B. It was occasioned by water, as is imagined, 
though no sign of it appeared at the different periods of time 
that the Vault was opened." 

(The following is the statement of Mr. Lucas as regards the 
Christ Church Vault. ) 

" I examined the walls, the Arch and every part of the Vault, 
and found every part old and similar ; and a mason in my 
presence struck every part of the bottom with his hammer, and 
all was solid. I confess myself at a loss to account for the 
movements of these Leaden Coffins. Thieves certainly had no 
hand in it ; and as fqr any practical wit or hoax, so many were 
requisite to be trusted with the secret for it to remain unknown ; 
and as for negroes having anything to do with it, their super- 
stitious fear of the Dead and everything belonging to them 
preclude any idea of the kind. — All I know is that it happened, 
and that I was an Eye witness of the fact ! ! ! " 

So superstitious did the people become that it was decided 
to close the vault. The coffins were removed and buried 
elsewhere in the churchyard in separate graves. The vault 
now stands deserted and forlorn, and if curiosity prompts 
him to enter it the visitor will probably find nothing inside 
except perhaps some stray leaves and a few bones thrown 
there at some later date. The Old Churchyard, Christ 
Church, contains several notable monuments. 

Oistin's Town, Christ Church (f- hour by motor-car, 
i|- hours by carriage), is a small fishing village chiefly 
notable as having been the place where, at " Ye Mermaid's 
Inn," the articles for the capitulation of Barbados were 
signed by the Royalist Commissioners of Barbados and the 
Commissioners of the Commonwealth in 1652, after a 
stubborn defence. No trace of the inn, which was kept 
by a Welshman, now remains. 

A beautiful view of Oistin's is obtainable from Kendal 
Fort — so-called from James Kendal, Governor from 1689 



n8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

to 1694. A pathway across the fields leads to a spot where 
a few guns still remain, but the stonework has been removed. 
South Point Lighthouse (90 ft. high) which is built 
throughout of iron, also commands an extensive view. 

In the Parish Church of St. George a painting of the 
Resurrection by the American Quaker painter Benjamin 
West, afterwards President of the Royal Academy, is 
to be seen. Mr. Frere, the then owner of " Lower Estate," 
commissioned West to paint the picture for the altar in 
1786, but when the painting arrived it was put away in 
an outhouse on the estate in consequence of a dispute 
with Mr. Thomas, the Rector. It will be noticed that the 
eye of the centurion is damaged. This is due to the act 
of a carpenter of burglarious intent who broke into the 
outhouse and was so alarmed at the fixed manner in which 
the centurion was glaring at him that he pushed the eye 
in. The picture was sent to England to be repaired ; 
but West had meanwhile died, and no artist of repute 
would meddle with the work. The vestry once refused an 
offer of /2000 for the painting. 

Gun Hill, St. George (6 miles ; f hour by motor-car, 
1 hour by carriage from Bridgetown), commands a fine 
view of the valley of St. George. In the event of any 
outbreak of illness the white troops used to camp at this 
spot, which is delightfully cool and healthy. On the 
side of the cliff is a grotesque British lion sculptured by Col. 
H. J. Wilkinson, and though as a work of art it cannot be 
compared with Thorwaldsen's masterpiece at Lucerne it 
is very cleverly executed. Below it is a quotation from the 
Vulgate of Psalm lxxii. 8 : 

DOMINABITUR ■ A MARI ■ VS AD MARE 
A FLUMINE VS AD TERMINOS ORBIS * TERRARUM 

which is translated, " He shall have dominion from sea to 
sea and from the river unto the ends of the world " ; and the 
inscription is doubtful Latin : " Hen. Joa. Wilkinson Gen. 
Coh. Ped. IX Britan. Trib. Castr. Sculpsit a.d. mdccclxviii. 
(Henry John Wilkinson, Colonel Commanding the 9th 
British Foot Regiment, tribune of the Camp, carved it in the 
year 1 868). 



BARBADOS 119 

Welchman's Hall or Westwood Gully (1 hour by 
motor-car, 1^ hours by carriage by way of Warren's, Cane 
Garden and Holy Innocents Chapel), with its luxuriant 
tropical vegetation and Cole's Cave (also an hour's drive 
from Bridgetown) both deserve attention. Like most 
of the numerous gullies for which Barbados is famous, 
that of Welchman's Hall is of great interest and beauty. 
It can, however, only be explored on foot. These 
gullies are mostly situated in the north-west centre 
of the island. They are deep clefts like river-beds 
which cut the upper ridges at varying intervals from 
the centre to the west. After heavy rains they become 
tearing torrents which rush down to find an outlet in the 
sea ; but at ordinary times they hold no water, though 
great boulders and rocks brought down from the higher 
levels indicate the force of the flood. The cliffs in some 
places rise to a height of over 150 ft. and the scenery is 
decidedly fine. Many noble trees and beautiful palms, 
chiefly of the cabbage and macaw variety, clothe with their 
verdure the bottoms of the gullies, while the rocks and 
boulders are clad with every variety of creeper and fern, 
and wild flowers, including orchids, grow in profusion. 
In the sides of some of the gullies are curious caves. At 
Sion Hall, for example, there is one which is carpeted with 
ferns of rare beauty. It has also numerous small pools 
formed by the water which continually drips through the 
porous rock overhead. Here it is said that the monkeys 
came to quench their thirst and to seek shelter. In Lewis 
gully in St. Thomas are to be seen some stalactites w T hich 
assume fantastic shapes — one resembles a crocodile, and 
another an elephant's head. This gully has a grass road 
through it which ends in a narrow path like a Devonshire 
lane. Welchman's Hall or Westwood Gully is, however, 
the most attractive and picturesque of all. It is clothed 
with luxuriant tropical vegetation, while at the bottom a 
sparkling streamlet yields nourishment to an immense 
variety of ferns and creepers. Many of the gullies are 
spanned by massive stone bridges built for the most part 
during the old days of cheap slave labour. Indeed it is 
well that the bridges are massive, as they have to with- 



120 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

stand a tremendous rush of water after a tropical downpour 
of rain. 

In Cole's Cave, in St. Thomas (7 miles from Bridgetown ; 
\ hour by motor-car, 1 hour by carriage), a most inte- 
resting underground river can be seen. Permission must, 
however, first be obtained from the manager of Walke's 
Spring Estate, on which it is situated. It is also desirable 
to take a guide and torches. The entrance to the cave is 
at the bottom of a deep gully clothed with tropical vegeta- 
tion. At a distance of about one hundred yards from the 
mouth the cave divides at " the Fork " into two branches, 
and from the side of the larger of these a clear stream 
issues. The cave a little farther on becomes more 
spacious, and forms a basin which has been called " the 
Bath," but it then contracts again, and the outlet of the 
stream has never been discovered, though an old story 
is still current in the island that a duck was put into 
the water at the end of the accessible part of the cave 
and found a safe exit at Indian River in St. Michael. 
Schomburgk says : 

The duck, it is said, was exhausted and nearly stripped of 
its feathers, perhaps by passing through fissures and coming in 
contact with projecting rocks. The story is possible, but 
unlikely ; unfortunately there is another version of it which 
says that the duck was recovered in Scotland district. 

Richard Blome, writing in 1672, says that these caves 
were 

often the sanctuaries of such negro-slaves that run away, in 
which they oft-times lie a good while ere found out, seldome 
stirring in the day time. . . . And it is supposed that these 
caves were the habitations of the natives. 

Richard Ligon confirms this. In his " True and Exact 
History of the Island of Barbadoes," published a year 
later, he says : 

The runaway negres, often shelter themselves in these Coverts, 
for a long time, and in the night range abroad the Countrey, 
and steale Pigs, Plantins, Potatoes, and Pullin, and bring it 
there ; and feast all day upon what they stole the night before ; 
and the nights being dark and their bodies black, they scape 
undiscern'd. 



BARBADOS 121 

These thieves, it appears, used to be hunted down success- 
fully by " Liam Hounds." 

The Hole or Hole Town, St. James (7 miles ; \ hour 
by motor, f hour by carriage), is noteworthy as being the 
spot where the English in the Oliph Blossom first landed 
in 1605, and as being the landfall of Sir William Courteen's 
settlers, under Richard Deane, in 1627. The town was 
afterwards called James Town in honour of James I. 
The town has little of interest beyond the old Fort behind 
the Police Station and the Tercentenary Monument. 
The latter was unveiled on November 30, 1905. It is 
inscribed : 

1605 . — - 1905 

THIS MONUMENT COMMEMORATES 

THE TERCENTENARY OF 

THE FIRST LANDING OF ENGLISHMEN 

FROM THE " OLIVE BLOSSOM," NEAR THIS SPOT 

ABOUT THE MONTH OF JULY 1605. 

THEY ERECTED A CROSS 

AND INSCRIBED ON A TREE THE WORDS 

" JAMES K. OF E. AND THIS ISLAND," 

THUS CONSTITUTING POSSESSION FOR THE CROWN OF ENGLAND 

IN WHOSE UNINTERRUPTED POSSESSION 

THIS ISLAND HAS REMAINED. 

THE CORNER STONE 

WAS LAID ON THE 3OTH NOVEMBER I905. 

BY HIS EXCELLENCY SIR GILBERT T. CARTER, R.N., K.C.M.G. 

THE GOVERNOR OF THE ISLAND 

IN THE PRESENCE OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE 

AND A LARGE CONCOURSE OF THE INHABITANTS 

THE COST OF ERECTION WAS DEFRAYED 
BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION OF THE INHABITANTS 

St. James's Church, Hole Town, boasts an old bell in- 
scribed "God Bless King William 1696," also a font 
dated 1684, and very old communion plate. The bell 
was brought away by General Sir Timothy Thornhill from 
Martinique after a successful attack on that island. A 
curiously worded inscription on a monument to the wives 
of Sir John Gay Alleyne, whose family resided for gene- 
rations at Porters {see below), should be read. 

Porters Wood (8 miles ; \ hour by motor-car, 1 hour by 
carriage from Bridgetown), with its flock of wild monkeys, 



122 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

which gaily disport themselves in the mahogany trees, and 
St. James's Church, are both very well worth attention. 
At Porters, now the residence of Dr. Graham Pilgrim, 
there is a very delightful swimming-bath, the origin of 
which is sufficiently explained by the following inscription 
which it bears : 

Invito 

dudleio woodbridge 

Arm° 

Amante nihilominus munditias 

Aqua nimium inundante 

In Balnearium 

Hoc Conclave 

abiit 

vii° Kal. Apr. mdccxxxv. 

Thos. Hill. Invenit. 

[Trans. This chamber was turned into a bath by Dudley 
Woodbridge, Esq<, reluctantly, though he loved cleanliness, 
because of its being constantly flooded. March 26, 1735. 
Sculptured by Thomas Hill.] 

Speights town (pronounced Spikestown), St. Peter 
(f- hour by motor-car, i|- hours by carriage from Bridge- 
town), formerly a shipping place of importance once enjo3^ed 
a considerable trade with Bristol, earning in consequence 
the name of Little Bristol. Mr. E. G. Sinckler, in his 
' ' Handbook of Barbados, ' ' says that it was probably built 
on the lands of William Speight, a member of Governor 
Hawley's Parliament in 1639. Communication between it 
and Bridgetown is maintained by a fine fleet of schooners 
which perform the journey of 12 miles in 1^ hours. The 
town has a church — St. Peter— and several chapels. It 
is here that the flying-fish industry is best seen. Speights- 
town is also the headquarters of a small whaling industry. 
Speightstown used to be defended by Denmark Fort, 
which is now an alms-house. The guns and platform are 
still in a good state of preservation. All Saints, St. Peter, 
is the oldest church in the island. It has many stained 
glass windows and the tombs of William Arnold (one of the 
first settlers), Sir John A. Gibbons, Bart., and Sir Graham 
Briggs, Bart. St. Nicholas Abbey, St. Peter (i£ hours by 
motor, n\ hours by carriage from Bridgetown), is chiefly 



BARBADOS 123 

remarkable because it is the only house in Barbados with 
fireplaces. It is built in late Elizabethan style, and is 
one of the oldest mansions in the island. The drawing- 
room is panelled with Barbados cedar. The proprietor 
is Mr. C. J. P. Cave. From Cherry Tree Hill, a short 
distance beyond the Abbey, there is a striking view of 
the Scotland District, with Hackleton's Cliff {see page 105) 
beyond. 

Farley Hill, in St. Peter's (16 miles ; \\ hours by 
motor-car, 3 hours by carriage from Bridgetown), the 
residence of the late Sir Graham Briggs, is notable as being 
the original home of the beautiful Farliense fern {A diantum 
Farliense). J. A. Froude stayed here in 1887. In the 
grounds are trees planted by Prince Alfred, afterwards 
Duke of Edinburgh, who visited the West Indies in the 
Euryalus in 1861, and by Princes Albert Victor and George 
(now King George V), who toured the Caribbean in H.M.S. 
Bacchante in 1879-80. From Grenade Hall, St. Peter, 
a disused signal- station near by, a fine view of the Scotland 
District can be obtained. 

At Turner's Hall Wood, St. Andrew (14 miles; 1^ hours 
by motor-car, 2 hours by carriage from Bridgetown), on 
a ridge stretching from the semicircular cliffs at the north- 
east, is seen the sole remnant of the virgin forest, which 
covers 46 acres of land and is now owned by Sir Hugo 
Fitzherbert, Bart., of Tissington Hall, in Derbyshire. It 
consists mainly of locust, cedar, fustic and bully trees, which 
once completely clothed the island. Of these, locust and 
fustic bulked largely among the exports of Barbados in 
the seventeenth century,. Near it are the borings of the 
West India Petroleum Company, and a tiny — so-called — 
boiling spring, the gas (carburetted hydrogen) rising through 
which can be ignited and used for cooking purposes on a 
very small scale. On the way to the wood, Porey Spring, 
St. Thomas' (7^- miles from Bridgetown), and gully, can be 
visited. The spring has lost its picturesque appearance 
since it was artificially controlled, but the gully like that 
at Duns combe half a mile farther on, is very beautiful. 

The Animal Flower Cave, St. Lucy (21 miles ; \\ hours 
by motor-car, i\ hours by carriage from Bridgetown), 



I2 4 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WESl? INDIES 

This remarkable cave was once only approachable by the 
cliff side, and a visit to it was in consequence not unattended 
by danger. It can now, however, be safely entered by a 
flight of stone steps at the back of the first cave, a large 
vaulted room about 80 feet long, 40 wide and 20 high, with 
several "port- holes" overlooking the sea, through which 
the waves break with great force at high tide. The second 
cave contains a pool of water, and is called the Bathing 
Cave. From it the Carpet Room is reached. It has a 
pool of water in the centre, and it is here that the "animal 
flowers " (sevpulce or sea-worms) used to flourish. Few 
now remain, however, the majority having been destroyed 
or carried off by predatory tourists. The fee for visiting 
the cave is is. per head, and a similar fee gives one the 
entree to a Rest House near by. 

Maycock's Fort, picturesquely situated in the same 
parish, is now bereft of its guns. Treasure is said to be 
buried there, but all endeavours to trace it have failed. 
The bay near by bears the ill-omened name of Hangman's 
Bay. 



CHAPTER VII 

BRITISH GUIANA AND BRITISH HONDURAS 

BRITISH GUIANA 

" Dawius petimusque vicissim " 

The Colony's Motto 

GENERAL ASPECT. British Guiana, which lies between 
latitudes g° and i° N. and longitudes 57 and 61 ° W. on 
the north-east coast of South America, to the south-east of 
the West Indian islands, has a total area of over 90,500 
square miles, of which quite 99 per cent, are undeveloped. 
The colony has a coast-line of about 250 miles, and extends 
inland to a depth of nearly 600 miles. Of its population of 
296,041 — 3.3 to the square mile, as compared with 1033 
in Barbados — nearly one half consists of East Indian immi- 
grants, who have been introduced every year, with one 
exception, in varying numbers since 1845. The inhabited 
portions of the colony are the alluvial flat which extends 
from mid-water mark to a distance inland of about ten 
miles, and the banks of the rivers for some distance from 
the mouths. The front lands, or lands on the sea-board, 
are flat and low, and the sea is kept out at high tide and 
the land drained by an elaborate system of sea-defences 
and canals established by the former Dutch owners. The 
soil, being alluvial, is ' naturally rich and fertile. The 
interior of the colony consists of swampy grass plains 
called savannahs, dense forests and bush, and ranges of 
mountains. The primitive forests are only occupied by a 
few Indians, with here and there a wood-cutter's, a gold- 
digger's, or a diamond-washer's camp. A series of sand- 
hills, now covered by tall forest trees, runs parallel to the 

125 - 



126 POCKET CxUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

sea-coast beyond the savannahs, and it is supposed that 
these hills were left by the receding sea in remote times. 
The highest of the mountains is Roraima (8740 ft.), which, 
though precipitous near the summit, has been ascended on 
several occasions. The colony has four great rivers, the 
Demerara, the Essequibo (with its principal tributaries 
the Mazaruni, Cuyuni, Potaro, and Rupununi), and the 
Berbice, which give their names to the three counties, and 
the Corentyn, which divides British from Dutch Guiana. 
The Essequibo River, which drains more than half the 
area of the colony, is 600 miles long, and has an estuary 14 
miles wide. The Demerara River is navigable for a distance 
of 80 miles and the Berbice for SS miles from their mouths ; 
but, generally speaking, the rivers are impeded above 
the tideway by numerous rapids, cataracts and falls, which 
render navigation of the upper reaches difficult. The 
principal waterfall is the Kaieteur on the Potaro River, 
which plunges over a tableland into a deep valley — a sheer 
drop of 740 ft. There is also a fine waterfall on the Kuri- 
brong River and another on the Ireng River. Mention may 
also be made of the Pakatuk Falls, the Tumatumari cataract 
on the Potaro, and the Waraputa cataracts on the Essequibo. 
On the rocks at Waraputa may be seen some of the curious 
rock carvings called " timehri " by the Indians, the origin 
of which has never been discovered. The most notable 
of these " picture writings " is, however, on the " Timehri 
rock " on the Corentyn river. 

INDUSTRIES. Sugar, with its allied products — rum, 
molasses, and "Molascuit," a cattle food composed of the 
interior cellulose fibre of the sugar-cane mixed with molasses 
— constitutes by far the most important industry of British 
Guiana. Demerara sugar, which is manufactured in 
each of the three counties of the colony, has a name for 
excellence all the world over. The total area under sugar 
cultivation in the colony is about 69,600 acres, as compared 
with about 36,000 acres under rice ; 12,000 acres coco-nuts ; 
3000 acres coffee ; and 2100 acres cocoa. The area under 
rice is being largely increased, and it is probable that this 
industry will undergo considerable development in the near 
future. Coffee and cotton were formerly produced in 



BRITISH GUIANA 



127 



large quantities in British Guiana ; but the cultivation of 
these crops, for which the soil is still admirably suited, 
languished after the abolition of slavery. On the extreme 
east coast of Demerara there is a considerable area under 
coco-nuts, and this form of cultivation is being extended. 
At Agatash, on the left bank of the Essequibo River, 
about two miles above Bartica, there is a fine lime estate 
on which citrate of lime is manufactured, and some of the 
islands below Bartica are devoted to tobacco-growing. 
Rubber — chiefly Hevea Brasiliensis — is rendering a good 
account of itself at the Government station, and on several 
private estates ; and the collection of balata from the tree 
known as Mimusops globosa forms an important industry. 
This gutta-percha-like substance is largely used for insu- 
lating purposes and in the manufacture of belting, &c. 
In the interior gold is recovered by " placer " washing, and 
also to a less extent by quartz-mining, while a system of 
dredging and hydraulic washing has been adopted with 
great success. Many kinds of timber are exported, including 
the valuable greenheart, mora, &c. British Guiana green- 
heart (Nectandra Rodicei) has been largely used for the 
locks, &c, on the Manchester Ship Canal and more recently 
on the Panama Canal. The principal exports from British 
Guiana during the financial year 1 9 1 2 were as follows : 



Product. 


Quantity. 


Value. 


Sugar .... 
Rum (proof) . 
Molascuit or Cattle Food 


77,788 tons 
2,382,937 galls. 
— tons 


£1,019,489 

149,01 1 

I 7, I 4S 


Molasses 

Gold .... 

Diamonds 


176,011 galls. 
48,779 oz. 
5,229 carats 


7,489 

177,968 

6,861 


Balata .... 
Timber 


705,214 lbs. 
284,530 cub. ft. 


ioi,547 
13,091 



FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
colony is shown by the comparative table on next page 
showing the revenue and expenditure, and imports and 
exports, for the last ten years. 



128 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 




Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. * 


Exports. 5 






i 


i 


i 


£ 




1903-4 . 


555.853 


530,225 


1,656,023 


1,810,038 




1904-5 . 


512,972 


511,182 


i,537,59i 


1,991,048 




1905-6 . 


522,493 


506,173 


1,662,205 


1,994,394 




1906-7 . 


535,745 


514,053 


1,690,804 


1,843,107 




1907-8 . 


546,882 


519,706 


1,765,358 


1,711,543 




1908-9 . 


540,053 


539,196 


1,838,947 


2,104,176 




1909-10 . 


540,269 


546,7H 


1,774,457 


1,985,337 




1910-11 . 


563,101 


542,758 


1,749,766 


1,820,198 




1911-12 . 


593.499 


558,626 


1,814,180 


2,172,766 




1912-13 . 


580,446 


590,745 


1,703,355 


1,798,597 






* Calenc 


iar years after 1910-1 1. 







Imports. 


Exports 


52.75 


40.34 


6-59 


40.27 


5.OI 


3-57 


31-45 


11.84 



The direction of the trade of the colony in 191 2 was 
as follows : 



United Kingdom 

Canada 

Other British Colonies 

Foreign countries . 



CLIMATE. The climate of British Guiana compares 
favourably with that of other tropical countries, and is by 
no means so unhealthy as people at home have been led to 
believe. The temperature is uniform, rarely rising above] 
92 ° Fahr. or falling below 75 ° Fahr. The mean annuals 
temperature of Georgetown is 82 ° Fahr., and the average 
rainfall of the colony about 90 inches. On the high lands 
in the interior the climate is not unlike that of British 
East Africa. The long rainy season lasts from about the 
middle of April until August, and the short rainy season 
through December and January. The birth-rate is 27.3 
and the death-rate 30.8 per 1000. 

HISTORY. The history of Guiana is interesting from 
the fact that it was one of the first countries in which 
Englishmen attempted to settle. The name is derived from 
an Indian word meaning " water," which was given to the 
region extending from the River Orinoco to the Amazon. 
In 1498, when on his third voyage, Columbus, after sighting 



BRITISH GUIANA 129 

Trinidad, passed the mouth of the Orinoco. In the follow- 
ing year Amerigo Vespucci coasted along Guiana, and in 
1500 Pinzon, after discovering the Amazon, passed along 
the whole coast of Guiana to the Orinoco. The Spaniards 
however, never settled in the country on account of the 
hostility of the cannibals, but other Europeans managed 
to secure the warmest friendship of the savages. In 1595 
Sir Walter Ralegh visited the Guianas in search of the 
mythical City of Gold, the El Dorado which had existed in 
the imagination of the Spaniards for nearly a century. The 
belief in the existence of this city was based on the tales 
of a Spanish soldier, who was set adrift by his companions 
when on an exploring expedition up the Orinoco. On 
finding his way back some months after, he told how he 
had been taken by the Indians to a great inland lake with 
golden sands, on which was a vast city roofed with gold. 
After exploring the Orinoco, Sir Walter Ralegh returned 
to England and published the " Disco verie of Guiana." 
On Tortuga Island in the Orinoco not far from Manoa, 
the spot where Sir Walter Ralegh's son was buried is 
pointed out. After Ralegh's visit the country was made 
known to Europeans, and English, French, and Dutch 
traders were often seen on the coast. The Spaniards tried 
to drive them away, and in a few cases destroyed the 
trading stations ; but ultimately settlements were made, 
the earliest known in what is now British Guiana being a 
fort on a small island at the confluence of the Cuyuni and 
Mazaruni rivers, which they called " Kyk-over-al, " or 
" Look over all," from its commanding situation. A 
settlement was also formed on Fort Island, near the mouth 
of the Essequibo, which became the seat of government 
of the colony of Essequibo — now one of the counties of 
British Guiana. The date of the foundation of the settle- 
ment at Kyk-over-al is uncertain, but it may be fixed at 
about 1620. It came into the possession of the Dutch 
West India Company, which was incorporated in 1621 
and was by the terms of its charter supreme among all the 
Dutch possessions in America. In 1624 the colony of 
Berbice — now another county of British Guiana — was 
founded by Van Peere, a merchant of Flushing, under 



130 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

licence from the company. The central colony of Demerara 
was an offshoot from Essequibo, and was established in 
1745. In 1740 settlers from other nations, mainly English, 
began to arrive from the West India Islands in considerable 
numbers, the Dutch were quite outnumbered, and Stabroek 
— now Georgetown — became a town of importance. The 
Dutch and English came into a state of open conflict in 
1780, and in the following year all three settlements capitu- 
lated to Great Britain. In 1782 the English were defeated 
by the French, and in 1783 the colonies were restored 
to the Dutch, who retained them until 1796, when they 
were captured by a British fleet from Barbados. They 
were again restored to the Dutch by the Treaty of Amiens 
in 1802, but in the next year they capitulated to the 
English, to whom they were finally ceded ini8i4. Ini83i 
the three colonies were united under the name British 
Guiana, of which Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice were 
declared to be counties in 1838. 

CONSTITUTION. The Constitution of British Guiana 
differs from that of any other West Indian colony. It 
comprises a Governor, an Executive Council, a Court of 
Policy, and a Combined Court, the last consisting of the 
Governor and members of the Court of Policy and six 
financial representatives. The members of the Court of 
Policy, whose duties are now purely legislative, used to be 
elected by a College of Electors, but they are now elected 
by the direct vote of the people. The Combined Court 
has the power of imposing colonial taxes and auditing 
accounts, and discussing freely the estimates prepared by 
the Governor in Executive Council, in which the administra- 
tive functions of the Court of Policy are now vested. 

Governors of British Guiana since 1 896 

Sir A. W. L. Hemming, K.C.M.G. 1896 

Sir Walter J. Sendall, G.C.M.G. 1898 

Sir Alexander Swettenham, K.C.M.G. 1901 

Sir Frederic M. Hodgson, K.C.M.G. 1904 

Sir Walter Egerton, K.C.M.G. 1912 

HOTELS. Georgetown. The Hotel Tower, in Main 
Street, is recommended. Rooms, 4s. 2d. per night ; board 



BRITISH GUIANA 131 

and lodging, from 8s. 4$. to 10s. $d. per day. The Victoria 
Hotel, High Street : board and lodging, 10s. per day j 
special terms per month. The Ice House Hotel, Stabroek : 
board and lodging, 6s. 3d. per day ; special terms per 
month. Good lodgings are obtainable at the houses of 
Mrs. Stephenson, Mrs. U. R. White, Miss Coombs, Mrs. 
July, and Miss Van Sertima, all in Main Street, of Mrs. 
Simpson in Camp Street, and of Miss Jones in Middle 
Street; board and lodging terms about 6s. 3d. per day. 
There are also hotels at New Amsterdam, at Bartica, 
Morawhanna and Mount Everard in the North-west district, 
and at Rockstone (Sprostons' Hotel), at which the terms 
are moderate. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. British Guiana is 
served by the steamship companies numbered 1, 4, 5, 6, 
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, and 19 in the list on pages 14 to 27. 
Most steamers go alongside the wharves, or stellings as 
they are called. 

Most of the leading residents in Georgetown hire carriages 
from the Georgetown Livery Stables Co. or W. P. Hum- 
phrey, instead of keeping their own. Terms : pair-horse 
carriages, ys. 6d. first hour, 55. per hour after. Single 
carriage, 4s. first hour, 3s. 4d. per hour after. Bicycles can 
be hired for £2 per month. Motor-cars can also be hired. 

The Demerara Railway Company has two railways in the 
colony, namely, the Demerara and Berbice Railway, which 
runs along the east coast from Georgetown to Rosignol 
(3 hours), and the West Coast Railway, which runs along 
the west coast to Parika (i8£ miles ; 50 min.). The first 
portion of the railway was opened as far back as 1848 and 
is therefore the pioneer railway of South America. On the 
Demerara and Berbice Railway passengers may be taken up 
or set down at any of the recognised side lines, namely, 
Success, La Bonne Intention, Mon Repos, Lusignan, and 
Nonpareil, on payment of an extra fare of 48 cents for each 
stop outside the station. First-class return tickets are 
issued at single fare and one- third. Special arrangements 
for Saturday to Monday. The names of the stations, their 
distance from Georgetown, and the fares are given in the 
tables on the following page. At the stations marked with 



132 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 


i 


Fares from 


Demerara and Berhice 


Distance 


Georgetown. 


Railway. 


from 
Georgetown 








STATIONS. 




1st Single. 


2nd Single. 




Miles. 


Cents. 


Cents. 


Georgetown 


— 


— 


— 


Kitty 






if 


12 


6 


Plaisance . 






5± 


28 


14 


Beterverwagting 






7l 


40 


20 


Buxton 






10} 


56 


28 


Nonpareil * 










— 


Enmore 






!3i 


68 


34 


Golden Grove * 








— 




Belfield 






n\ 


80 


40 


Clonbrook . 






i.7i 


88 


44 


Mahaica 






2\\ 


108 


54 ■ 


De Kinderen * 






26^ 


140 


70 


Mahaicony . 






32i 


160 


80 


Belladrum 






4Q| 


200 


100 


Lichfield . 






44i 


220 


no 


Fort Wellington 




5i 


256 


128 


Rosignol (for New Am- 








sterdam ) 


66} 


300 


150 





Distance 
from 
Vreed- 
en-Hoop. 


Fares from Georgetown 


West Coast Railway. 

STATIONS. 


(including Ferry). 


I St 

Single. 


ilable for 
following 
fare. 


2nd 
Single. 




Miles. 


Cents. 


Cents. 


Vreed-en-Hoop . 


— 


12 


ava 
the 
ngle 


6 


Windsor Forest * 







28 


14 


Blankenburg * . 




— 


36 


i2 '™ 


18 


Hague 






6f 


36 


ckei 
sue 
the 


18 


Leonora 






8| 


40 


20 


Uitvlugt * . 








48 


+3 .% jv 


24 


Boeraserie . 






12 


5 2 


go-g 


26 


Tuschen 






13* 


60 


2 >>£ 
-f-> e& t? 


30 


Greenwich Park 






15 


64 


Re 

thed 
day) 


32 


Parika 






iSj 


84 


42 



Trains stop when required at these stations. 



BRITISH GUIANA 133 

an asterisk trains can be stopped by signals or on notifying 
the conductor at the preceding station. The Head Office 
of the Demerara Railway Company (H. G. McMurdie, 
secretary) is at no Cannon Street, London, E.C. 

There is a motor-bus service between New Amsterdam 
and Skeldon (47 miles) on the extreme eastern boundary 
of the colony. 

Ferry-boats cross the Demerara River between George- 
town and Vreed-en-Hoop at frequent intervals (fares : 
1st class, 12 cents ; 2nd class, 8 cents) ; the Berbice River 
between New Amsterdam, Rosignol, and Blairmont — 
(fares : 1st class, 16 cents ; 2nd class, 8 cents) ; and the 
Essequibo River between Tuschen and Leguan Island 
(fares : ist- class, 32 cents ; 2nd class, 16 cents). There is 
a short railway between Wismar, a small settlement sixty- 
five miles up the Demerara River, which is reached daily, 
Sundays excepted, by Sprostons' steamers, and Rockstone 
on the Essequibo ; and Government and Sprostons' steamers 
Ltd. visit many other points of interest in the colony. 
The enterprising company (Sprostons Ltd.) has arranged a 
series of select week-end trips at very moderate prices 
which include full board and lodging. The regular 
services of the company are as follows : 

(1) From Georgetown to Suddie, Essequibo, calling at Leguan, 
Wakenaam, and Aurora daily, returning on the same day. 

(2) From Georgetown to New Amsterdam (Berbice) every 
Monday and Thursday evening, returning every Tuesday and 
Friday evening. 

(3) From Georgetown to Mount Everard, every Tuesday at 
12.30 p.m., returning to Georgetown on Fridays, and calling at 
Morawhanna both ways. A launch runs between Mount Everard 
and Arakaka on the Barima for the purpose of carrying mails 
and passengers, and towing batteaux when there is sufficient 
water in the river. 

(4) From Georgetown to H.M. Penal Settlement, and then 
to Bartica Grove, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 
8.30 a.m., returning on Wednesday, Friday, and Monday, touching 
at Tuschen both ways, leaving Bartica at 8 a.m. The steamer 
does not, however, call at the Settlement on Court days, which 
fall on every first and third Tuesday in the month. 

(5) From Wismar for Akyma and Mallali, every Wednesday 
and Saturday at 6.30 a.m., returning every Tuesday and Friday 
at 8.30 a.m. 



134 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

(6) From New Amsterdam at 7 a.m. every Monday and Thurs- 
day, touching at intermediate stations, and arriving at Coomacka 
at about 9 p.m. From Coomacka on Tuesdays at 9 a.m., touching 
at intermediate stations, arriving at Mara at about 6 p.m. on 
Tuesdays, leaving there on Wednesdays at 7 a.m., and arriving 
at New Amsterdam at about 9 a.m. 

On Fridays the steamer runs through to New Amsterdam, 
leaving Coomacka at about 5.30 a.m., and arriving at New 
Amsterdam about 6.30 a.m. The days and hours of departure 
are subject to variation, and inquiries should be made at the 
stellings or landing-places, or at Messrs. Sprostons' ofhces, 
Lots 3 to 6, Lombard Street, Georgetown. The fares are as 
follows : 

Essequibo Route 



1st Class. 


2nd Class. 


Georgetown to Leguan . . Si. 00 


$0.48 


,, Wakenaam . . 1.50 


0.48 


,, Aurora . . 2.00 


0.48 


Suddie . . 2.00 


0.48 


Berbice Route 




1st Class. 


2nd Class. 


Georgetown to New Amsterdam . $1.44 


$0.72 


Essequibo River 




1 st Class. 


2nd Class. 


Georgetown to Tuschen . . $1.00 


So. 24 


H.M. Penal Settle- 




ment . . 2.00 


0.64 


Bartica . . 2.00 


0.64 


The fares for the return journey are the same. 


Berbice River Service 




1st Class. 


2nd Class. 


New Amsterdam to Mara . . . $0.68 


$0.24 


,, Bartica S telling . 1.50 


0.50 


, , Friendship 




(Patoir's) . . 2.04 


0.68 


,, Coomacka . . 3.00 


1. 00 



Tramcars. Georgetown has an admirable service of 
electric tramcars conducted by the Demerara Electric 
Company Ltd., a Canadian undertaking with a capital of 
$900,000. The routes are as follows : 

(1) Belt Line. Company's Office, Water and Croal Streets, 
crossing Camp Street, New Garden Street (cricket ground), 
Middle Street, and crossing Camp Street and Main Street into 
Water Street. 

(2) Sea Wall Line. Platform (Sea Wall), Main Street, Ben- 



BRITISH GUIANA 135 

tinck Street, Water Street, Lombard and Broad Streets, Croal 
and Camp Streets, and Camp Road. 

(3) La Penitence and Church Street Line. La Penitence, 
Stabroek Market, Company's Office, Church Street, Water 
Works, New North Road, New Garden Street, and vice versa. 

(4) East Bank Line. Main Street, through Water Street, 
Lombard Street, Albouystown, La Penitence, along the public 
road, running through the sugar plantations, Ruimveldt and 
Houston to the terminus at Peter's Hall. 

The cars run at intervals of fifteen minutes throughout the 
day, and stop at positions marked by poles painted white. The 
schedule of fares is : Single fare, 5 cents ; tickets purchased in 
strips of three, 12 cents per strip ; children's tickets in strips of 
nine, 24 cents per strip. Transfer tickets from any one line to 
another are free. Special cars can be engaged for trolley parties 
for $2.50 per hour. 

SPORTS. Cricket, lawn-tennis, golf, and football are 
popular, the principal clubs being the Georgetown Cricket 
Club, with its ground at Bourda, the Demerara Golf Club, 
with links at Turkeyen (4^ miles from Georgetown), the 
Georgetown Football Club, and La Penitence and Vreed- 
en-Hoop Lawn-tennis Clubs. For " wet bobs " there is 
the Demerara Rowing Club, with a boathouse at La Peni- 
tence, and the Ituni Rowing Club in Berbice. There is 
a capital racecourse at Bel Air near Georgetown, the 
property of the Demerara Turf Club Ltd., which has 
succeeded the D' Urban Race Club, an institution founded 
by Governor Sir Benjamin D'Urban on September 28, 1829. 
Berbice has also a very good course. 

SOCIAL CLUBS. The Georgetown Club, founded in 1858, 
is quite one of the best in this part of the world, and it is 
extremely hospitable to visitors, who are introduced by 
members. Above it are the Assembly Rooms, which can 
be used either as a theatre or a ball-room. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The front lands of British 
Guiana are below the level of the sea, and the first view of 
the Magnificent Province, as the colony is called, is not, 
therefore, inspiring. The sea is muddy, owing to the 
matter in it brought down by the mighty rivers and kept 
in suspension by the opposing forces of the great ocean 
currents. The monotony of the long and low coast-line 
fringed with bush and scrub is broken here and there only 



136 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

by the tall chimneys of the sugar factories. Ten miles 
from the coast the steamer passes the Demerara Lightship 
rolling at anchor. Georgetown (population 57,577), the 
capital of British Guiana, was founded by the British in 
1 78 1 and laid out by the French in the three following 
years. It was given the name Stabroek as a compliment 
to the Lord of Stabroek in Holland on the return of the 
Dutch in 1784, but was called Georgetown in 1812. The 
original town now forms the Stabroek district of the capital. 
The town lies on the right bank of the Demerara River, near 
the mouth of which is the protecting Fort William Frederick. 
The streets are wide and clean, and the houses — with few 
exceptions — are constructed of wood, and are raised upon 
brick pillars from 8 to 10 ft. high to keep them from damp 
emanations from the ground. With their windows pro- 
tected by green Venetian jalousies they are not unpic- 
turesque and are certainly deliciously cool. The numerous 
street trees and gay gardens of the private houses, with 
their wealth of foliage and flowers, have earned for George- 
town the designation of " the Garden City of the West 
Indies." The streets are laid out in rectangular blocks 
and some of them are intersected by open canals or fresh- 
water trenches. In these nourishes the gorgeous Victoria 
Regia lily which, discovered by Haenke in South America 
in 1 80 1, was first found in British Guiana on Gluck Island 
in the Essequibo. The trenches are also inhabited by a 
whole colony of frogs, whose whistling and croaking form 
a rather unmusical accompaniment to the barking of dogs 
and the crowing of cocks which are features of the so-called 
" still tropical night." The city is well lighted with elec- 
tricity and is provided with an excellent electric tram and 
telephone service. It is supplied with water from the 
Lamaha Canal, which connects with the Lamaha, a branch 
of the Lama Creek, a tributary of the Mahaica, some twenty 
miles distant. The water is pumped from a reservoir at 
the Camp Street waterworks into the service pipes of the 
city. Artesian wells have recently been bored with success 
and form an additional source of water-supply. 

On landing at the stelling or wharf, one enters Water 
Street, the leading commercial centre of the city, which 



BRITISH GUIANA 137 

runs parallel to the right bank of the Demerara River for 
about two miles. It is in this street that the principal 
merchants' offices are situated. In it and in Lombard 
Street are many very attractive shops and stores. 

Not far from the stellings stands the Stabroek Market, a 
huge iron and glass structure 80,000 sq. ft. in area (1882), 
which in the early hours of the morning presents a scene of 
great activity, while at the other end the Reading Room 
and Museum of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial 
Society (an institution founded in 1844 and incorporated 
in 1866) occupy a prominent position. The museum is open 
free every day, and those who have not time to visit the 
interior of the colony may get some idea of what life in it is 
like from the Natural History collection and picture gallery 
of local views. A large proportion of the fauna of British 
Guiana can be studied as mounted specimens, and so also 
can Indian curios of every kind, relics of cannibal feasts, 
stone implements, specimens of rocks, including gold 
quartz and diamondiferous gravels, and in fact almost 
everything found, grown, or made in British Guiana. 
Adjoining the Museum is the Reading Room, to which 
a visitor may be introduced by a member of the 
Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society. It con- 
tains a respectable collection of English newspapers, 
reviews, and magazines. It has also a comprehensive 
number of works of standard authors and of local books, 
which can be inspected on application to the librarian. 
Before leaving the building the visitor should ascend to 
the top of the signal tower, which surmounts it, to obtain 
a view of Georgetown. A still better view can be enjoyed 
from the Lighthouse. The General Post Office, centrally 
situated in a building which was formerly the Tower Hotel 
at the corner of North and Hincks Streets, is open from 
6 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. There are also several branch offices. 
The Free Public Library and Reading Room at the 
corner of Church and Main Streets was the gift of Mr. 
Andrew Carnegie. 

To the south-east of Stabroek Market are the Public 
Buildings, in which the Government offices are situated, 
and where the meetings of the Legislature are held. They 



138 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

are built of brick, iron and stucco, and date from the early 
thirties. 

Government House, which has fine reception rooms and 
cool bedrooms, stands between Main and Carmichael 
Streets in spacious grounds. 

The Victoria Law Courts form an imposing group of 
buildings in the High Street in line with the Town Hall, 
a handsome modernised Gothic building designed by the 
Rev. Ignatius Scoles, SJ. (1889). The Law Courts, built 
of concrete and wood, were designed by Baron Siccama and 
opened on the late Queen Victoria's birthday, May 24, 1887. 
Besides the Supreme Court they contain the offices of the 
Department of Lands and Mines, the Harbour Master, 
the Official Receiver, the Surgeon-General, and the Law 
Officers of the Crown. In front of the Law Courts is a 
marble statue of Queen Victoria erected by the citizens 
in 1894 in commemoration of her Jubilee. 

The Anglican Cathedral, dedicated to St. George, is an 
airy building capable of seating 1500 people. The first 
English church in Georgetown — then Stabroek — was built 
in 1809 and was known as the chapel of St. George. It 
was succeeded by a brick structure which became unsafe 
in 1877 and gave place to a temporary building called the 
Pro Cathedral. The foundation-stone of the present 
building, which was designed by Sir A. Blomfield, was laid 
in 1889, and in 1892 Bishop Austin, Primate of the West 
Indies, celebrated his jubilee as a bishop and officiated in 
the Cathedral for the first time. A special feature of the 
fabric is its immense height, which is well calculated to 
show off to advantage the magnificent timber of the colony 
of which it is constructed. It contains many memorial 
tablets of interest and some fine stained-glass windows. 
Those in the baptistery were the gift of Bishop Swaby, now 
Bishop of Barbados and the Windward Islands, who 
succeeded Bishop Austin in the see. The marble font, also 
the gift of Bishop Swaby, representing an angel holding a 
shell, is similar in form to one in Inverness Cathedral and 
is very beautiful. The handsome wrought-iron chancel 
screen was the gift of Mrs. Woodgate Jones and the side 
screen was presented by the married ladies of the colony. 



BRITISH GUIANA 139 

The altar rails were the gift of Professor Austin of Salt 
Lake City. The electrolier in the chancel was given by 
the late Queen Victoria, the brass cross at the altar by the 
Church of Antigua, and the lectern by the Church of Bar- 
bados on the occasion of Bishop Austin's jubilee. The 
Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 
which was designed by the late C. Castellani and was opened 
in 1 87 1, was completely destroyed by fire on March 7, 191 3. 
It was a noble example of colonial architecture and cost 
$140,000 to build. Another Roman Catholic church of 
importance is that of the Sacred Heart in Main Street. 

The rooms of the Ladies' Self-Help Association, an 
institution founded by Lady Egerton, wife of Sir Walter 
Egerton, are almost opposite the church. 

St. Andrew's Kirk, at the corner of High Street and 
Brickdam, with its high steeple and quaint double-angled 
roof, is historically interesting. Begun in 181 1 as a kerk 
by the Dutch, it was opened as a kirk by the Presbyterians 
in 181 8. The building still rests on the low wall of red 
bricks laid by the Hollanders. The roof is made of green- 
heart " black with age and as hard as a bone." There 
are several other churches belonging to Anglicans, Presby- 
terians, Wesleyans, Congregationalists, besides other Chris- 
tian denominations, two Roman Catholic convents, a 
Mohammedan mosque, and a Hindoo temple. 

The Promenade Gardens are interesting, though small. 
They are near the centre of the city, and form, together 
with the Sea Wall and Botanical Gardens, the principal 
afternoon resort of the people. Both can be reached by 
tramcar. The Sea Wall, which extends from Fort William 
Frederick at the mouth of the Demerara River to Planta- 
tion Kitty on the east coast, was begun in 1858 and took 
thirty-four years to complete. It was built mainly by 
convict labour with granite brought from the penal settle- 
ment on the Mazaruni River. The excellent band of the 
Georgetown Militia plays at these places alternately with 
the Botanic Gardens^ one day a week being devoted to 
each. 

The Botanic Gardens, 150 acres in extent, at Vlissengen, 
at the back of the town, are easily reached by electric tram. 



140 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

In the north wall of the Lodge a clock was placed in 1909, 
with a brass tablet to perpetuate the memory of Mr. George 
Samuel Jenman, Government Botanist and Superintendent 
of the Gardens from 1879 to 1902, " to whose knowledge, 
skill, and work the colony is indebted for the laying out of 
the Gardens and the formation of the herbarium." Here 
there is to be seen a large variety of palms, including the 
cabbage palm, the aeta, the coco-nut palm, besides the 
traveller's tree, so called because water is always to be 
found at the base of the leaf, and many other tropical trees 
of great beauty. Here, too, will be found the magnificent 
Victoria Regia water-lilies in the ponds. Many of the 
leaves measure from 4 to 5 ft. in diameter ; and being 
turned up at the edge they closely resemble large green 
trays. They and the Indian nelumbrium are weeds in the 
colony ; but these are by no means all, for there are red, 
white, and blue nympheas in all their wealth of beauty. 
There are also nurseries and trial fields, covering an area 
of about forty acres, where experiments with many varieties 
of economic products, and especially with seedling canes, 
are conducted. Formerly, new varieties of cane were 
only obtainable by chance variation. Now the minutely 
subdivided " arrow " or bloom of a full-sized cane is laid 
on the top of a rich soil in a wooden tray, the soil having 
been previously baked in order to kill all weeds, and the 
fertilised seeds germinated in the ordinary manner. When 
about an inch high, the tiny grass-like shoots are trans- 
planted into baskets and eventually bedded out in the 
experimental cane grounds adjoining. Throughout its 
whole career, each cane selected for further test is known 
by a number prefixed with a letter indicating the colony 
of origin — thus D stands for Demerara — so that when a 
variety turns out favourably its history can immediately 
be traced. In the garden lakes can be seen alligators and 
some specimens of the manatee or water cow. 

Among the recognised sights of Georgetown is a noble 
avenue of cabbage palms along the front of Plantation 
Houston. A delightful drive can be taken on the electric 
cars (East Bank line, seepage 135) from Main Street through 
this avenue. By this line one can reach the^Chinese 



:; a 




IN THE BOTANIC GARDENS, BRITISH GUIANA 

The graceful tree on the right is the Fan or Traveller's Tree 




A STREET IN GEORGETOWN, BRITISH GUIANA 

Showing a " Trench " with the Victoria Regia Lily growing in it 



BRITISH GUIANA 141 

Quarter in the Werk-en-Rust district of Georgetown, 
which is well worth a visit. Here many quaint Oriental 
ornaments may be purchased. Save for a propensity for 
gambling which has periodically to be checked, the Chinese 
live quietly in the colony, and give little or no trouble, 
forming excellent and useful colonists : many of them, too, 
are good churchmen. The line also passes in front of the 
East Indian settlements to the terminus at Peter's Hall, 
four miles out of the town. There is a shorter but scarcely 
less handsome avenue on the outskirts of the city near the 
Orphan Asylum at the end of "Brickdam 9 " a broad 
boulevard bordered by a trench. The name Brickdam 
reminds one that the roads are paved with red brick clinkers 
which obviate the glare that is so unpleasant in Barbados 
and elsewhere. 

New Amsterdam (population about 9000), the capital of 
Berbice, is reached from Georgetown by Sprostons' steamer 
in 6| hours, by rail to Rosignol in 3 hours, and thence by 
ferry-boat (j hour) or by road and ferry. By the latter 
the journey is fatiguing and monotonous unless undertaken 
in a motor-car. Numerous native villages are passed 
which were established by the negroes immediately after 
the abolition of slavery. In Demerara the largest of these 
villages are Buxton and Plaisance, each with over 3000 
inhabitants. New Amsterdam is situated on the right 
bank of the Berbice River, near the mouth of a tributary 
of the Canje creek. The town is very clean and is lighted 
by electricity, but it has by no means such a bustling 
appearance as Georgetown. Indeed, Anthony Trollope 
said that three people made a crowd in New Amsterdam, 
which resembles an old Dutch town rather than an English 
one, though the old Dutch capital of Berbice was Nassau, 
100 miles up the river. The city has only two streets of 
importance, Main Street and the Strand . In the Promenade 
Gardens, which with the Esplanade are the most popular 
places of recreation, is a statue of the late Queen Victoria. 

All Saints Church (Anglican), which is conspicuous near 
the steamer stelling, was consecrated by Bishop Coleridge in 
1839. It has a stained-glass window which was exhibited 
at the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851, and was 



142 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

presented by Queen Victoria. The handsome electrolier 
was subscribed for by members of the church in memory of 
Bishop Austin. To the left of the west door is a brass 
to the memory of Sir Henry Katz Davson, Chairman of the 
West India Committee, January 7 to February 21, 1909, and 
Deputy Chairman, June 23, 1898, to January 7, 1909, erected 
by the Executive and unveiled on their behalf by the then 
Governor, Sir Frederic Hodgson, on April 23, 1910. 

The Berbice Race-course, which lies behind the town, 
is justly considered to be one of the finest in the West 
Indies. It was opened in 1909, and spring and autumn 
race-meetings, at which horses from the islands as well as 
the colony compete, are held every year. 



Sugar Factories. No visitor should on any account 
leave the colony without first inspecting one of the sugar 
factories (one of the finest is on Plantation Diamond, 
8 miles from Georgetown), and endeavouring to visit The 
" Bush." If time is not limited, a trip to one of the creeks 
of the Demerara River will fully repay the trouble. Few 
places in the world are so interesting, and if the stranger 
gets a sight of the native Indian under primitive conditions, 
he will feel that the so-called savage is one of nature's 
gentlemen. Reserved and quiet, he has gone on his way 
through the ages without trouble or worry, minding his 
own business and retiring before other races. There is no 
reason to be afraid of him, for he is the gentlest person in 
the country. Again, the tales of jaguars, snakes, and 
venomous creatures are all exaggerated. A sportsman or 
a naturalist would be fortunate indeed if he met with any 
of these. No doubt they are present, but they are only 
to be found in the bush and by those who know where to 
look for them. 

Sprostons' steamers afford opportunities for making 
many expeditions at a small cost. Leguan, Wakenaam, 
and Sutidie can be visited in one day. Suddie lies on the 
" Arabian coast " on the west side of the mouth of the 
Essequibo River, and is the centre from which Onder- 
neeming, with its Government farm and Experiment station, 
the Ituribisce and Capoey Lakes, and the Pomeroon dis- 



BRITISH GUIANA 143 

trict can be reached. The steamer skirts various islands 
at the mouth of the Essequibo, among them being Dauntless 
Island, which had a romantic origin. Mr. James Rodway, 
in his fascinating book " In the Guiana Forest," gives the 
following account of it : 

At the beginning of this century the charts of the mouth 
of the River Essequibo showed a bank of " hard sand, dry at 
low water," to the east of Leguan Island. This place continued 
as a sandbank for over sixty years — how long it had been in 
existence before is doubtful, but we may safely state that it 
could hardly have been less than a century altogether, and 
from all appearances it might remain in the same condition for 
as long again. About the year 1862, however, an estates' 
schooner, named the Dauntless, was wrecked on this Leguan 
Bank, partly broken up and embedded in the sand, where its 
presence was shown by a slight elevation, and one or two ribs 
sticking out above the surface. These jagged points arrested 
a few pieces of the tangle which came down the river, and on 
this were deposited some seed of the courida. Then began the 
work of building up an island which to-day is about two miles 
long by one broad, and is known on the chart as " Dauntless 
Island." 

Tumatumari Falls, on the Essequibo River, the starting 
point for the gold-fields, is reached by steamer up the 
Demerara River to Wismar (65 miles), from there by light 
railway to Rockstone (18 miles), a small clearing on the 
right bank of the Essequibo, which here takes a tremendous 
sweep to the left, and thence by launch, four to six days 
being required for the expedition. Above Wismar on the 
Demerara River are the villages of Akyma and Mallali. 
For those with less time at their disposal, the trip from 
Rockstone to the Etaballi Falls is recommended. This 
trip can be easily taken from Georgetown within a week- 
end. On the rail journey Greenheart Camp, a centre 
of the timber industry, is passed. A lively boat's crew 
of Bucks or aboriginal Indians and " Bovianders," as 
the cross between the old Dutch inhabitants and Buck is 
called, paddle one down eight miles to the Etaballi Falls, the 
passage of which is very exciting. The captain stands on 
the poop steering with a paddle tied to the gunwale and 
exhorting his crew. With much jabbering and singing of 
chanties and hymns, they propel the boat at a great pace, 



i 4 4 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

The river near here is about three miles wide, and what 
appears to be the bank often turns out to be a huge island. 
The midday meal can be partaken of on the river bank, 
and the return journey made in four or five hours. The 
boat's crew, stripping themselves to the skin and leaping into 
the water, haul the boat up the rapids when occasion requires. 

The village of Bartica, forty -five miles up the Essequibo, is 
a favourite spot to visit. It sprang into existence at the time 
of the gold boom and was first known as Bartica Grove, 
from a grove of mango trees there. To the north-west of 
Bartica is the penal settlement for prisoners undergoing 
long terms of imprisonment. There is a launch and boat 
service from Bartica up the Cuyuni to Camaria Falls three 
times a week, and from there a launch runs to Matope 
Falls. 

Kyk-over-al. At the confluence of the Cuyuni and 
Mazaruni Rivers, to the south-west of the penal settlement, 
is the site of the old Dutch fort Kyk-over-al, of which a 
few traces still remain. Kartabo, or Cartabu, Point near 
by is the starting-place for Peter's mine, reached by a bridge 
200 ft. over the Puruni River. Omai, seventy miles above 
Bartica, on the left bank of the Essequibo, is another 
important mining-centre. 

Mount Everard. A four days' trip via the mouth of 
the Waini River and the Morawhanna passage to the Barima 
River and thence to Mount Everard, the starting-place by 
launch or boat for Koriabo (25 miles) and the Arakaka gold- 
fields (106 miles), is recommended as affording a good 
opportunity of seeing the tropical forest in comfort. There 
are rest-houses at Mount Everard and Arakaka. Moraw- 
hanna, the chief Government station of what is called 
the North-west District, is situated 160 miles to the north- 
west of Georgetown. Gold was discovered in the neighbour- 
hood in about 1889. Mount Everard was so named after 
Sir Everard im Thurn. 

Kaieteur Fall. The Kaieteur, or Old Man's, Fall, on 
the upper branch of the river Potaro, a tributary of the 
Essequibo, was discovered by Mr. Barrington Brown, of 
the Geological Survey, on April 24, 1870. The Potaro 
River here flows over a sandstone and conglomerate table- 




ALL THAT REMAINS OF KYK-OVER-AL, BRITISH GUIANA 

The original Dutch settlement at the confluence of the Cuyuni and Mazaruni 

Rivers 



BRITISH GUIANA 145 

land into a deep valley below, with a total fall of 822 feet, 
or five times the height of Niagara. For the first 741 feet 
the water falls as a perpendicular column into a basin below, 
from which it continues its downward course over a sloping 
cataract 81 feet in height, and through the interstices of 
great blocks of rock, to the river below. The width varies 
from 350 feet in the dry season to 400 feet in the rainy season, 
and the depth similarly varies from a very few feet to 20 feet. 
Mr. (now Sir) E. im Thurn, who was formerly Government 
Agent of the North-west District, thus describes the fall, 
which he first visited in November 1878 : 

It was at Amatuk, that is, on first entering the Kaieteur ravine, 
that we reached the most beautiful scenery of that beautiful 
river. If the whole valley of the Potaro is fairyland, then the 
Kaieteur ravine is the penetralia of fairyland. Here, owing 
to the moisture-collecting nature of the sandstone rock, the 
green of the plants would seem yet greener and more varied. 
Under the thick shades were countless streamlets trickling over 
little ledges of rock among pigmy forests of filmy ferns and 
mosses. The small feather-like tufts of these ferns, each formed 
of many half-transparent fronds of a dark cool-looking green 
colour, were exquisite. Larger ferns, with a crowd of ariods, 
orchids, and other plants, covered the rocks between these 
streams in new and marvellous luxuriance. Two curious forms 
of leafless white-stalked parasitic gentians (voyria), one yellow 
the other white, were especially noticeable. On either side rose 
the tall granite cliffs, which form the sides of the ravine ; the 
sandstone rock, of which they are a part, extends in an unbroken 
piece from this to Roraima. The appearance of their perpen- 
dicular tree-crowned walls, broken here and there by gaps, 
recalls the pictures of that mountain. Far up on the faces of 
the cliffs were ledges, on which grew a few green plants. Some 
idea of the size of these cliffs may be drawn from the fact that 
the field-glasses showed these plants to be tall forest trees. . . . 
After two hours' climb through the forest, we came out on the 
savannah from which the Kaieteur falls. . . . 

Crossing the savannah we soon reached the Kaieteur cliffs. 
Lying at full length on the ground, head over the edge of the 
cliff, I gazed down. Then, and only then, the splendid and, in 
the most solemn sense of the word, awful beauty of the Kaieteur 
burst upon me. Seven hundred and fifty feet below, encircled 
in black boulders, lay a great pool, into which the columns of 
white water, graceful as a ceaseless flight of innumerable rockets, 
thundered from by my side. Behind the Fall, through the 
thinnest parts of the veil of foam and mist, a great black cavern 
made the white of the water look yet more white. 

K 



146 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Sir E. im Thurn visited the Fall again in 1879. This second 
visit was made at the end of a heavy rainy season, when 
the scene presented a much grander aspect. He thus 
describes it : 

Crossing the savannah, and coming to the edge of the cliff 
over which the Potaro falls, we once more lay down, bodies 
along the top of the cliff, heads over its edge. It was a very 
different scene from the last time. Then it was beautiful and 
terrible ; but now it was something which it is useless to try to 
describe. Then a narrow river, not a third of its present width, 
fell over a cliff in a column of white water, and was brought 
into startling prominence by the darkness of the great cave 
behind ; and this column of water before it reached the small 
black pool below had narrowed to a point. Now an indescrib- 
able, almost inconceivable, vast curtain of water — I can find 
no other phrase — some 400 ft. in width, rolled over the top 
of the cliff, retaining its full width until it crushed into the 
boiling water of the pool which filled the whole space below ; 
and at the surface of this pool itself only the outer edge was 
visible, for the greater part was beaten and hurled up in a great 
high mass of surf and foam and spray. 

In recent years the Fall has been visited by quite a 
number of visitors, and the enterprising firm of Sprostons 
Ltd., the pioneers of internal communication in the colony, 
has rendered an expedition to it possible even for those 
who only spend a few weeks in British Guiana. 

The firm gives the following rough outline of the proposed 
itinerary to and from Kaieteur : 

First day. Leave Georgetown by steamer at 8 a.m. and arrive 
Wismar about 4 p.m. 

Leave Wismar by train about 5 p.m. and arrive Rockstone 
6.15 p.m. 

Second day. Leave Rockstone by launch at 6.30 a.m. and 
arrive Tumatumari Cataract between 5 and 8 p.m., according 
to the state of the river. 

Third day. Leave Tumatumari by launch at 7 a.m. and arrive 
Potaro Landing 9 a.m. 

Leave Potaro Landing on foot 10 a.m. and arrive Kangaruma 
at noon. 

Leave Kangaruma by boat at 1 p.m. and arrive Amatuk 
Cataract 5 p.m. 

Fourth day. Leave Amatuk by boat at 7 a.m., take breakfast 
at Waratuk Cataract and proceed to Tukait by 4 p.m. 

Fifth day. Leave Tukait at 7 a.m. and climb to top of Kaieteur 
by 11 a.m. at latest. Sleep at top of Kaieteur or return to 
Tukait same night. 



BRITISH GUIANA 147 

Sixth day. Leave Kaieteur or Tukait, as the case may be, 
and proceed right through past Waratuk to Amatuk or Kan- 
garuma before dark. 

Seventh day. Leave Amatuk by boat and walk from Kan- 
garuma to Potaro Landing, in time to catch launch which 
leaves daily at 2 p.m. for Tumatumari. 

Eighth day. Leave Tumatumari by launch at 7 a.m. and arrive 
Rockstone about 4 p.m. 

Ninth day. Leave Rockstone by train at 7 a.m. and arrive 
Wismar at 8.15 a.m. 

Leave Wismar at 8.45 a.m. by steamer and arrive Georgetown 
about 4 p.m. 

The cost of the expedition varies according to the size 
of the party, from $65 (£13 10s. 10 d.) to $150 (£31 5s.) per 
passenger. 

Roraima. Sir Everard im Thurn was the first to ascend 
Roraima, the remarkable mountain in the Pakaraima range 
on the western border of the colony, in December 1889. 
On it the boundaries of Guiana, Venezuela, and Brazil meet. 
Though few visitors care to face the exertion which an 
expedition to this mountain necessarily involves, the 
following description of his visit has a fascinating interest : 

The first impression was one of inability mentally to grasp 
such surroundings ; the next, that one was entering on some 
strange country of nightmares, for which an appropriate and 
wildly fantastic landscape had been formed, some dreadful and 
stormy day, when, in their mid-career, the broken and chaotic 
clouds had been stiffened in a single instant into stone. For all 
around were rocks and pinnacles of rocks of seemingly impossible 
fantastic forms standing in apparently impossibly fantastic 
ways-— nay, placed one on or next to the other in positions 
seeming to defy every law of gravity — rocks in groups, rocks 
standing singly, rocks in terraces, rocks as columns, rocks as 
walls and rocks as pyramids, rocks ridiculous at every point 
with countless apparent caricatures of umbrellas, tortoises, 
churches, cannons, and of innumerable other most incongruous 
and unexpected objects. And between the rocks were level 
spaces, never of great extent, of pure yellow sand, with stream- 
lets and little waterfalls and pools and shallow lakelets of pure 
water, and in some places there were little marshes filled with 
low, scanty and bristling vegetation. And here and there, alike 
on level space and jutting from some crevice in the rock, were 
small shrubs in form like miniature trees, but all apparently 
of one species. Not a tree was there ; no animal life was visible ; 
nor, it even seemed, so intensely quiet and undisturbed did the 
place look, ever had been there. Look where one would, on 



148 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

every side, it was the same, and climb what high rock one liked, 
in every direction, as far as one's eye could see was this same 
wildly extraordinary scenery. 

During the early part of November 1894, Messrs. J. J. 
Quelch, F. V. McConnell, and C. A. Lloyd made the ascent 
to the summit by the same ledge on the south-west face of 
the mountain by which Sir E. im Thurn ascended, and spent 
three days and two nights on the top of the plateau, which 
they again visited in 1898. 

Within the compass of this guide it is only possible briefly 
to outline the features of British Guiana which present 
themselves to the visitor making a short stay. To describe 
adequately the wonders of the hinterland of the " Magnifi- 
cent Province " would require many pages. It must 
therefore suffice here to say that it is a country of boundless 
possibilities which requires only the attention of the capital- 
ist to bring it into the front rank of our possessions overseas. 



BRITISH HONDURAS 

" Sub Umbra Floreo " 

The Colony's Motto 

GENERAL ASPECT. British Honduras, which lies in 
latitudes 18 29' and 15 52' N. and longitudes 89 9' and 
88° io' W., on the east coast of Central America, has an 
area of 8598 square miles, of which only a very small 
portion has as yet been developed. Along the coast-line, 
which extends for a distance of 180 miles from Yucatan to 
the Bay of Honduras, are a number of cays or coral islets, 
the largest of which is about 30 miles east of Belize. The 
country along the coast is mostly low-lying, with numerous 
lagoons and a narrow strip of sand along the seaboard, 
which is fringed with coco-nut palms. The rivers include 
the Hondo, which forms the northern boundary between 
the colony and Mexico, the New River, on which is the 
former military station of Orange Walk, the Belize, which 
flows from the Guatemala frontier and has at its mouth 
Belize, the capital of the colony, the Sibun, the Mullens 



BRITISH HONDURAS 149 

River, the North Stann Creek, the South Stann Creek, the 
Monkey River, the Rio Grande, and the Sarstoon River, 
which separates British Honduras from Guatemala on the 
south. The general formation of the colony beyond the 
swampy coast lands is divided into (1) Cohune ridges, which 
take their name from the graceful palm Attalea Cohune 
growing in profusion on their fertile soil and comprise the 
lower tracts of the rivers ; (2) Pine ridge, which includes 
the higher levels and takes its name from the Pine (Pinus 
cubensis) found in it ; and (3) Broken ridge — often covered 
with dense jungle and intermediate between the Cohune 
and Pine ridges. The principal islands, or cays, off the coast 
are Turneffe (a corruption of Terra Nova), St. George's Cay, 
English Cay, and Ambergris Cay. They are much resorted 
to for bathing and fishing, and there are several " week-end " 
residences on St. George's Cay. 

INDUSTRIES. Mahogany cutting is the chief industry, 
and large quantities of logwood and hard woods of 
various kinds are also shipped. The gum of the Sapodilla 
tree, which is called Chicle, is exported to the United 
States, where it is largely used for making chewing-gum. 
To the south of Belize bananas are being cultivated with 
success, and with the completion of the Stann Creek Railway 
this industry is likely to increase rapidly. In the year 
1912 the principal exports were : 

i.'_ . Value 

Mahogany 16,019,932 ft. £212722 

Cedar 2,683,811ft. 33,045 

Logwood 3,622 tons! . 13,433 

Chicle 3,309,277 lbs. - 192,000 

Bananas 470,039 bunches 21,606 

Coco-nuts 6,553,539 25,239 

The direction of trade in the same year was : 

Imports Exports 

United Kingdom £1 37, 057 £63,586 

United States 272,885 462,445 

Mexico 226,139 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
colony is shown by the comparative table on next page of 
its revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports, for 
the last ten years. 



ISO POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




$ 


$ 


$ 


$ 


1903-4 


301,194 


266,039 


1,772,976 


1,853,181 


1904-5 


309,790 


282,258 


1,757,319 


1,863,871 


1905-6 


332,110 


300,351 


1,876,560 


1,835,250 


1906-7 


391,861 


321,439 


2,200,541 


2,019,006 


1907-8 


395,183 


506,701 


2,415,723 


2,211,036 


1908-9 


360,915 


535,979 


2,676,723 


2,201,799 


1909-10 


395,855 


592,120 


2,704,248 


2,209,023 


1910-11 


459,295 


542,810 


2,819,217 


2,344,380 


1911-12 


1,201,908 


532,123 


2,886,677 


2,685,849 


1912-13 


575,243 


611,131 


3,496,908 


2,856,043 



CLIMATE. The climate of British Honduras is sub- 
tropical in character, though the colony is within the 
tropics. The maximum shade temperature on the coast 
is 90 Fahr. and the minimum 62 ° Fahr. The average 
annual rainfall is about 100 inches. The dry season extends 
from the middle of February to the end of May, and the 
heaviest rainfalls occur in September, October, and 
November. 

HISTORY. The coast on which British Honduras 
stands was discovered in 1502 by Columbus on his fourth 
voyage. Its earliest settlers are said to have come from 
Jamaica in 1638, being attracted by the mahogany and 
logwood. The islands off the Mosquito Coast had already 
been settled about eight years before by a chartered com- 
pany, of which the Earl of Carrick was chairman and 
John Pym treasurer. The Mosquito Indians lived on 
terms of amity with the English, whom they helped to keep 
off the Spaniards, and in 1670 sought the protection of 
England. This was given them to the extent of the 
Governor of Jamaica exercising some supervision over the 
settlement, and in 1739 the native king signed a treaty 
giving up the country to England. A few years later forts 
were erected on the island of Ruatan, but they were dis- 
mantled in 1763, and though the King of Spain allowed 
the settlers to reside within a certain district they 
were treated with great severity. The wood-cutters, or 
" Bay-men "as they were called , now had their headquarters 



BRITISH HONDURAS 151 

on St. George's Cay, and on September 10, 1798, with the 
help of the crew of a British sloop, the Merlin, they defeated 
a force of 2000 rn^n under General O'Neil, the Governor of 
Yucatan t in the memorable battle of St. George's Cay, the 
^Tmiversary of which is still celebrated every year in the 
colony. In spite of this success the settlement was not 
officially recognised, and the inhabitants managed their 
own affairs. Their laws were resolutions passed at public 
meetings, which, after a visit of Admiral Sir William 
Burnaby, were codified and published as " Burnaby's 
Laws." Until 1786 the chief executive officer of the 
settlement was a magistrate elected annually. In that year 
a Superintendent was appointed by the Home Government 
in his place, and with the exception of the period from 1790 
to 1797, when magistrates were again elected, Superin- 
tendents were regularly appointed until 1862, when the 
settlement was declared a colony and a Lieutenant- 
Governor subordinate to the Governor of Jamaica took their 
place. This official was succeeded in 1884 by a Governor 
and Commander-in-chief, and British Honduras is now 
quite independent of Jamaica. 

CONSTITUTION. British Honduras is a Crown Colony. 
It has an Executive Council consisting of the Governor and 
six members, three of whom sit ex officio, the other three 
being appointed, and a Legislative Council comprising the 
Governor and five official and not fewer than five unofficial 
members appointed by the Governor. 

Governors since 1891 

Sir C. A. Moloney, K.C.M.G. 1891 

Colonel Sir David Wilson, K.C.M.G, 1897 

Sir E. B. Sweet-Escott, K.C.M.G. 1904 

Colonel Sir E. J. B. Swayne, K.C.M.G., C.B. 1906 

Wilfrid Collet, C.M.G. 1913 

HOTELS. Belize. The International. Board and lodging 
$1.00 per day and upwards. Yearwood's. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. There is unfortu- 
nately no direct steamship communication between the 
mother country and British Honduras ; but intending 
passengers can select any of the routes overleaf : 



152 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

(i) Via New York ; d} t rail to New Orleans, and thence to 
Belize by United Fruit Company's mail steamers (leaving New 
Orleans every Thursday). Time, about I 5 days. 

(2) Via New York ; by rail to Mobile and '\hd*G$ to Belize by 
Orr-Laubenheimer Company. Fortnightly. 

(3) Via New York ; to New Orleans by Southern Pacific 5.-?* 
Company Ltd., and thence to Belize by United Fruit Company. 

(4) Via New York ; United Fruit Company's steamers from 
New York to Belize (one passenger and one cargo steamer each 
month). 

(5) Liverpool to New Orleans by Leyland Line (time, about 
17 days), and thence to Belize by United Fruit Company. 

(6) Liverpool to Belize by Harrison Line direct (monthly 
service). (Time, 3 to 4 weeks.) 

(7) Bristol or Liverpool to Colon per Elders and Fyffes Ltd. ; 
Colon to Belize by United Fruit Company. 

Communication between Belize and Stann Creek and 
Punta Gorda is maintained by a weekly steamer of the 
United Fruit Company ; and between Belize, Corosal and 
Orange Walk (New River) by a weekly mail steamer which 
connects with the United Fruit Company's mail steamers 
to and from New Orleans. On the Belize River motor- 
boats ply between the capital and El Cayo several times a 
week, except in dry weather ; and communication between 
Belize and all important places on the coast, cays, and 
various rivers is maintained by sloops and motor-boats. 

A Government railway runs inland from Stann Creek to 
Middlesex, a distance of 25 miles. 

The roads are not at present suitable for wheeled traffic 
except in the immediate vicinity of towns, and between 
El Cayo and Benque Viejo. 

There is a canal between Sibun Bight and Manatee which 
is suitable for light draft boats only. 

Belize and Corosal have good local telephone services, 
and trunk lines connect the capital with Stann Creek, 
Punta Gorda, El Cayo, Benque Viejo, Corosal, and Orange 
Walk. A cable laid under the Rio Hondo connects British 
Honduras with Payo Obispo, Mexico, and a wireless ship 
to shore station has been established in the colony. 

SPORTS. Lawn-tennis is played on concrete courts of 
the polo and golf clubs, and there are also several private 
courts. Cricket is played from May to October, and there 
are several native cricket and football clubs. The Belize 



BRITISH HONDURAS 153 

Golf Club, which was established in 1900, has a nine-hole 
course (subscription $1.25 per month and $10 entrance 
fee). Polo is played on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Satur- 
days from October to March by the members of the Belize 
Polo Club founded in 1895 (subscription $15 per annum 
and $7.50 entrance fee), under Hurlingham rules modified 
tG suit local conditions. Fishing is a pursuit which is not 
much foiiC.yed, though tarpon, calipever, snapper, bass, 
mullet, grouper, king-fish, and barracouta are plentiful. 
The sheltered water between the mainland and the line of 
reefs about ten miles to windward is admirably suited to 
sailing. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Belize (population 10,478), the 
capital and seat of government, straggles up both sides 
of one of the mouths of the river of the same name. It 
is a clean and bright little town, with several public build- 
ings. Prominent among them are the Government Office 
and Court House, Government House, and the Roman 
Catholic Cathedral, which, if not strikingly handsome, 
serve their purpose sufficiently well. The houses, many 
of which are roofed with iron as a protection against fire, 
are in some cases surrounded by small gardens with pic- 
turesque fruit and shade trees, among which the ubiquitous 
coco-nut palm predominates. Along the river fronts are 
stores and private residences. A bridge connects two 
parts of the town, and the river below presents a busy scene 
with its numerous pitpans — the native boat— and motor- 
boats, which ply between 'the capital and El Cayo, 100 
miles distant on the western frontier, where goods are 
transferred to mule-back for the Peten district of Guate- 
mala, the cays, the rivers, and various points along the 
coast. 

The rivers of the colony provide scenery of a varied 
character. In the lower reaches, tropical jungle of the 
richest kind is seen. Farther up the country becomes hilly, 
and the banks high and often rocky, and abounding with 
maidenhair and other ferns and vegetation. Mahogany 
camps can be inspected by permission of the firms engaged 
in cutting. These firms engage the services of an expert 
woodman — a " hunter," or ■'■ timber cruiser," as he is 



154 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

called — who locates and reports on suitable trees within 
easy reach of the rivers. A track is then cut through the 
forest to the tree selected, and the wood-cutters proceed 
with their work. After the tree has been lopped and 
cleaned, it is " trucked/' or hauled by oxen, to the river- 
side at night by torchlight, out of consideration for the 
bullocks, which could hardly work during the heat of the 
day. The logs are then allowed to lie at the riverside until 
the rains bring sufficient water to enable them to be floated 
— or "driven," as it is called — down to the mouth, where 
they are boomed, or fastened together, by " dogs " until 
they are hauled out to be trimmed, or squared, ready for 
shipment. 

St. George's Cay> a small island about ten miles to 
the north-east of Belize, besides being exceedingly pic- 
turesque, is historically interesting as having been the 
scene of the memorable engagement in which the Spaniards 
were defeated by the British settlers in 1798 (see page 151). 
It was on this island that the first English settlement was 
made. Many residents in Belize now have residences on 
St. George's Cay to which they repair for week-ends or 
longer. Each house has a bathing kraal and the fishing 
and sailing off the coasts are excellent. 

Sergeant's Cay, Goff's Cay, English Cay, and Tobacco 
Cay» are a few of the numerous cays lying along the 
Coral reef about ten miles to windward of the mainland 
which, though they provide very primitive accommodation, 
are occasionally resorted to by visitors who are satisfied 
with sea-bathing, fishing, and sailing. 

Manatee» some fifteen miles to the south of Belize, is 
another holiday resort of rather a primitive character. 
Here there are extensive lagoons. At Ben Lomond, on 
the Northern Lagoon there are stalactitic caves. 

Still farther to the south is the agriculturally promising 
Stann Creek district. The town of Stann Creek is a 
well-to-do little place which has lately acquired some 
importance through its connection with the pioneer rail- 
way of the colony. This line, which has a 3 -ft. gauge, 
starts from a pier in the sheltered waters of Commerce 
Bight to the south of the town, and runs inland for a distance 



BRITISH HONDURAS 155 

of about 25 miles to a terminus in the middle of rich 
agricultural land at the foot of the mountains to the west. 
The railway was begun in 1907, and considerable areas of 
land alongside the line have already been successfully 
put under banana cultivation. 

On the Rio Grande in the Stann Creek District some 
ancient pyramids faced with cut stone, filled with stone 
and brick and standing on a stone-faced platform, are 
preserved as historic monuments. Their origin is unknown. 
In the Cayo District, near Benque Viejo, there are also 
some interesting ruins. Here there is a three-storied temple 
the ground floor of which is still in a good state of preserva- 
tion. Near it is a fine sculptured stela. An account of these 
ancient remains is given in the British Colonial Report- 
Miscellaneous [Cd 6428]— published in 1912. 



CHAPTER VIII 
JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 

" Indus liter que serviet uni " 

The Colony's Motto 

GENERAL ASPECT. Jamaica lies towards the north of 
the Caribbean Sea, about 90 miles south of Cuba and 1150 
to the north-west of Barbados. It is rather more than 
twice the size of Lancashire, having a total area of 4207 
miles, and its population was shown by the census of 191 1 
to be 831,383. The total length of the island is 144 miles, 
its extreme breadth 49 miles, and its least width (from 
Kingston to Annotto Bay) 21^ miles. Turks and Caicos 
Islands (population 5615), with an area of 169 square miles, 
though geographically part of the Bahama Islands, the 
Cayman Islands (population 6ooo), whose area is 87 square 
miles, lying no to 156 miles north-west of the west end of 
Jamaica, the Morant Cays, three tiny coral islets, with an 
area of 2 square miles, 33 miles south-east of Morant Point, 
and the Pedro Cays, about 40 miles south-west of Portland 
Point, the most southerly point near the centre of the 
coast, are all dependencies of Jamaica. 

The island of Jamaica is very mountainous, and history 
relates that Columbus, wishing to describe its features 
to Queen Isabella, took a piece of paper in his hands 
and crumpled it up. The main ridge of mountains 
runs east and west, with spurs extending to the 
north-west and south-east, the latter terminating in the 
east in the famous Blue Mountains, the highest peak 
of which has an altitude of 7423 ft. Jamaica is indented 
with many bays and harbours, notable among which are 
Port Antonio at the eastern end, and Montego Bay at the 

156 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 157 

western end of the north coast, and Old Harbour and 
Kingston, both on the south side of the island. The last- 
named, which is the finest harbour in the West Indies, 
has a total area of about 16 square miles, and it is computed 
that its depth over, or one might say under, at least 7 
square miles, is from 7 to 10 fathoms. It is protected by a 
long spit of land called the Palisadoes, 71 miles long, at the 
extremity of which stands the town of Port Royal. Jamaica 
has many rivers and streams, which are mostly rapid, 
principal among them being the Black River, which runs 
through St. Elizabeth, with its Maggotty Falls, in the south- 
west, navigable for 25 miles, and the Rio Grande in the 
north-east. While most are picturesque, the Roaring 
River, with its beautiful falls in St. Ann's Parish, and the 
Rio Cobre, which empties itself into Kingston Harbour, 
are specially noteworthy in this respect. Among the many 
other streams are Plantain Garden River, in the parish of 
St. Thomas, which waters a broad and fertile valley, and 
the Martha Brae River, near the mouth of which is Fal- 
mouth town and harbour. The island is divided into three 
counties : Surrey in the east, Middlesex in the centre, and 
Cornwall in the west ; but these divisions are of little 
importance politically, and the local affairs of the colony are 
under the control of Boards in the fourteen parishes, which 
form the true political divisions. 

INDUSTRIES. Jamaica possesses large areas of land 
at various altitudes well suited for the cultivation of all 
tropical and sub-tropical products. In the old days sugar 
and rum were supreme, but in 1893-94 they were sup- 
planted for the first time as the principal industries of the 
island by fruit, which has since been steadily growing in 
importance as an article of export. In 191 2 the acreage 
under different kinds of produce was as follows : bananas, 
82,435 acres ; coffee, 24,473 acr es ; sugar-canes, 34,766 acres ; 
coco-nuts, 16,691 acres ; and cocoa, 13,355 acres. Ground 
provisions, pimento and guinea-grass are also extensively 
grown, the total area under cultivation of all kinds being 
941,708 acres. Of the fruit exported, the principal kind is 
bananas, the shipments of which amount |to 20,000,000 
bunches per annum, the bulk going J;o the United States of 



158 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

America. Oranges are next in importance, the total ex- 
ported annually being 40,000,000. Coco-nuts number 
25,000,000, and grape fruit, shaddocks, limes, and kola- 
nuts are also shipped in appreciable quantities. In actual 
value fruits account for 58.3 per cent, of the colony's 
exports ; sugar and rum 12 ; and coffee, 5.5. per cent. 
Jamaica is, of course, famous for its rum, and on a few 
estates in the island the sugar-canes are grown primarily 
with the object of rum manufacture. The coffee from the 
Blue Mountains of Jamaica fetches the highest price 
of any in the world, and the ordinary estate coffee is 
excellent. Jamaica is the main source of supply of 
pimento, or allspice, of which the average annual exports are 
over 110,000 cwts. Bitter- wood, ebony, fustic, lignum- 
vitae, and logwood are among the woods exported, and the 
dye is now extracted from the latter by a secret process at 
the West India Chemical Works at Spanish Town and also 
at a factory at Lacovia in St. Elizabeth. Tobacco is grown 
and cigars are manufactured at several factories . Prominent 
among the industries of Jamaica must be mentioned pen- 
keeping, which denotes a branch of agriculture including 
cattle and sheep breeding, horse and mule breeding, and 
dairying, the pens being large farms, which afford a lucrative 
and healthy occupation to many of the inhabitants. The 
principal exports in the year ending December 31, 191 2, were : 



Fruit 


e 


,297,131 


including bananas, 13,382,072 stems ^1,241 


187 




and oranges 30,737,900 38,422 




Wood . . . 42,228 tons 




93,346 


Logwood extract . 24,898 pkgs. 




175,677 


Pimento . . . 107,504 cwts. 




78,388 


Sugar . . . 197,960 cwts. . 




132,798 


Rum . . . 894,679 galls. . 




67,100 


Coffee . . . 89,586 cwts. . 




274,730 


Cocoa . . . 65,675 cwts. . 




139,833 


Coco-nuts . . . 22,949,450 nuts 




108,627 



The direction of the colony's export trade in 191 2 was 
as follows : United Kingdom 13.2 per cent. ; United States, 
59.8; Canada, 5.5; other countries, 21.5. 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
colony is shown by the following comparative table of 




NegriMIarb'" 



NeortlF? 




Stanrbrdi &eo graphical Estdb* 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 159 

revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports for the 
last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports.* 


Exports.* 




1 


i 


£ 


t 


1903-4 . 


926,164 


822,876 


2,014,477 


1,543,267 


1904-5 • 


75L562 


824,816 


1,682,355 


1,436,725 


1905-6 . 


865,696 


821,612 


1,941,938 


1,843,180 


1906-7 . 


887,228 


828,115 


2,261,469 


1,992,007 


1907-8 . 


1,021,937 


935-427 


2,854,042 


2,360,202 


1908-9 . 


933>75Q 


911,095 


2,240,335 


2,268,253 


1909-10 . 


992,977 


1,033,794 


2,561,674 


2,628,307 


1910-n . 


99o,399 


987,3 4 


2,614,943 


2,568,221 


1911-12 . 


1,161,014 


1,155,208 


2,865,553 


2,945,157 


1912-13 . 


1,206,161 


1,304,930 


3,050,479 


2,709,203 



* Since 1909 the Imports and Exports Returns have coincided 
with the calendar year. 

CLIMATE. Jamaica offers a variety of climates. Near 
the sea-level the temperature varies from 68° Fahr. to 85 ° 
Fahr., but in the mountains it often falls as low as 45 ° Fahr. 
on winter nights. Houses in the Blue Mountains even have 
fireplaces, and at the Blue Mountain Peak frost is not 
unknown. There are two principal rainy seasons, namely, 
in May and October, but there is generally more or less 
rain all through the summer months. As a rule, less rain 
falls in Kingston than in most other parts of the island. 
The great heat is tempered by sea breezes during the day 
and land breezes by night. The birth-rate is 39.0 and 
the death-rate 22.1 per 1000. 

HISTORY. Jamaica, the largest of the British posses- 
sions in the West Indies, was discovered by Columbus on 
May 3, 1494. He called it St. Jago, after the patron saint 
of Spain, but it reverted to its native name " Xaymaca '■ 
(" well wooded and watered "). On his fourth and last 
voyage he again visited the island. Being caught in a 
violent storm, he ran his ships aground in St. Ann's Bay, 
on the north coast. The exact spot now bears the name of 
Don Christopher's Cove. When Columbus died in 1506, 



i6o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

his son Diego inherited his property, and went out to 
Hispaniola (the island now divided between the republics 
of Haiti and Santo Domingo) as Governor. On arriving there 
he found that Jamaica had been partitioned between two 
Spaniards, and accordingly, in order to establish his rights, 
he sent out Esquivel, or Esquimel, to found a settlement 
in the island under his direction. The settlement was made 
on the north side ; but between the years 1520 and 1526, 
the colonisation having extended to the south, the town 
of St. Jago de la Vega, now Spanish Town, was founded, 
and this soon became the chief town. In 1596 the island 
was raided by the English under Sir Anthony Shirley, who 
attacked and plundered Spanish Town, and in 1643 Colonel 
Jackson, with 520 men from the Windward Islands, landed 
at Port Royal and exacted a ransom from the defenders. 
But Jamaica remained Spanish for 161 years, and it was 
not until May 11, 1655, that it changed hands. On that 
eventful day it yielded to a force under Admiral Penn and 
General Venables, sent out by Cromwell against the 
neighbouring island of Haiti. In 1657-8 an attempt was 
made to recapture the island for Spain ; but most of the 
colonists were apathetic, and those who were not joined the 
Maroons, or runaway slaves — the name is an abbreviation 
of cimarron, and is derived from the Spanish Cirna, or 
mountain top — in the interior of the island, and so began 
the long series of troubles with the Maroons which was 
finally put an end to after the quelling of the rebellion in 
1796 by the deportation of many of the rebels to Nova 
Scotia. In June 1670, the British occupation of Jamaica 
was formally recognised by the Treaty of Madrid . Colonisa- 
tion was proceeded with, and there was a large influx of 
soldiers, who did not make good colonists, and also of very 
undesirable refugees. A number of settlers also came from 
Nevis and other West Indian islands. Jamaica became one 
of the headquarters of the Buccaneers, a daring band of 
freebooters of all nationalities, who were deadly opposed to 
the rule of Spain. They derived their name, Buccaneers, 
from South American hunters, who joined pirates known as 
flibustiers from the Dutch flyboats in which they made their 
expeditions. These hunters were in the habit of drying 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 161 

their meat on wooden grills called " boucans," and the name 
Buccaneers was given to the whole gang. Their head- 
quarters were at Port Royal, which became a town of 
immense wealth, and perhaps the richest in the West Indies, 
while Morgan, one of their leaders, eventually became 
Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica. 

CONSTITUTION. Jamaica has a Legislative Council, 
consisting of the Governor, who has only a casting vote, 
five ex officio members, namely, the Senior Military Officer, 
Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General, Director of Public 
Works, and Collector-General, and such other persons, not 
exceeding ten in number, as his Majesty may from time to 
time appoint, or as the Governor may from time to time 
provisionally appoint, and fourteen persons elected by the 
people, one for each parish. The elected members have 
the control in financial matters. The Council is dissolved 
at the end of five years from the last preceding general 
election, if it has not been previously dissolved. There is 
also a Privy Council, with the usual powers and functions 
of an Executive Council. 



Governors of Jamaica since 1888 

Sir Henry A. Blake, G.C.M.G. 
Sir Augustus L. Hemming, G.C.M.G. 
Sir J. Alexander Swettenham, K.C.M.G. . 
Sir Sydney Olivier, K.C.M.G. . . . 
Brigadier- Genl. Sir William Manning, K.C.M.G 
C.B 



1888 
1898 
1904 
1907 

1913 



HOTELS. Jamaica has some good hotels, conducted on 
the American system. In Kingston there is the Myrtle 
Bank, rebuilt in 19 10. Board and lodging, $5 and upwards 
per day in winter, $3 and upwards in summer. The 
Constant Spring Hotel (temporarily closed 191 4), 6 miles 
from Kingston, can be reached by electric car. It stands 
470 ft. above the level of the sea and at the foot of the 
mountains. The Manor House Hotel, near the Constant 
Spring, has 30 rooms, and is excellently managed. Board 
and lodging from 125. per day. The St. Andrew Hotel 
(Mrs. Austin) on the car-line, between Halfway Tree and 



1 62 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the Cross Roads, from 14s. a day. South Camp Road Hotel 
(H. A. Evelyn, manager), from $4 a day, and the Imperial 
Hotel, from $3 a day, both in the South Camp Road. 
Good accommodation can also be had at the Grenville 
Private Hotel (the Misses Farquharson) , 112 East Street, 
at Earl's Court (Mrs. Cook's), 18 North Street, at Montague 
House (in North Street), and at Melrose House (Miss Phillips), 
1 17 Duke Street. All are on or near the car-line, and enjoy 
a well-merited reputation for comfort. Board and lodging 
125. a day and upwards. Hill Gardens furnished cottages, 
six miles from Kingston on the Constant Spring car-line, 
can be leased on reasonable terms (apply S. J. Streadwick, 
70 Harbour Street, Kingston). There are also several 
smaller hotels and plenty of lodgings to be had at prices 
varying from 15s. to £2 10s. per week. 

Balaclava. Miss Roberts' lodgings — Rooms 3s., Board 
and lodging £1 12s. per week. 

Bath. Comfortable accommodation may be obtained 
at the Bath Fountain, one mile from Bath (apply to the 
Matron or to the Clerk, Bath Corporation, Bath P.O.). 

Black River. Shearer's Boarding House and Mrs. 
Constantine's Boarding House. 

Brown's Town. Richmond Hotel (Mrs. Sutherland) — 
8s. per day, Board and lodging £2 10s. per week. 

Castleton Gardens. Accommodation can be obtained 
during the winter months at Castleton Cottages, on the road 
between Kingston and Annotto Bay. 

Hollymount. Holly mount House, on the summit of 
Mount Diablo, 2700 ft., commands magnificent views of 
both sides of the island ; 30 rooms — Board and lodging 
12s. per day and upwards. 

Malvern (Santa Cruz). Lawrence House. 

Mandeville. Hotel Mandeville, 2061 ft. above the sea 
— Rooms 45., Board and lodging £2 10s. to £3 per week. 
Newleigh (Mrs. Halliday), Board and lodging £2 10s. per 
week. The Grove (J. B. Dick) — Board and lodging 105. 
per day, £3 3s. per week. Bloomfield Hotel (M. 
Braham) . 

Milk River. There is a boarding house at the baths. 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 163 

Moneagiie. Moneague Hotel, about 900 ft. above the 
sea — Rooms 4s., Board and lodging £2 10s. per week. 

MontegO Bay. Spring Hill Hotel — Board and lodging 
$3 per day. Staffordshire House (Mrs. Jervis) — Board and 
lodging Ss. 4d. per day. Sanatorium Caribee- — Board and 
lodging 10s. 6d. per day. Montego Bay Hotel — Board and 
lodging 12s. per day, £3 105. per week. Furnished cottages 
can also be obtained and many families take paying guests. 
Montpelier. Mack field Hotel (Mrs. Munroe) — Rooms 
4s., Board and lodging £4 10s. per week. 

Port Royal Mountains. Flamstead (Mrs. Dick) — Board 
and lodging, about £2 & week. 

Port Antonio. The Titchfield Hotel of the United 
Fruit Company (rebuilt after a fire in 19 10) — Board and 
lodging from $5 per day upwards. The Waverley Hotel. 

Spanish Town. Hotel Rio Cobre — Rooms 4s., Breakfast 
3s., Luncheon 2s. 6d., Dinner 4s. 6d., Board and lodging 
£3 to £4 per week. 

St. Ann's Bay. Hotel Osborne (Miss Hart), about 5 minutes 
from the wharf and within 3 miles of Roaring River. 

In addition to the hotels mentioned, there are boarding- 
houses in nearly all the towns of any size, varying in merit, 
where wholesome, if not elaborate, cooking can be obtained, 
and there are indications that the rural districts are pre- 
paring to make better provision than heretofore for the 
reception of visitors. On private enquiry, a few planters, 
pen-keepers, and others may be found who are willing to 
take paying guests on suitable introduction ; and for those 
who can afford the time this is perhaps the best way of 
getting to know the country and the people under home-like 
conditions. Stopping at hotels, where there are any, and 
lodging-houses, the expense of board and lodging may be 
assumed roughly to be from 15s. to £1 55. a day, if travelling 
quickly. In Jamaica, as elsewhere, longer sojourns mean 
a reduced daily expenditure. 

MEANS OP COMMUNICATION. Jamaica is served by 
the steamship companies numbered 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 12A, 15, 21 
and 27 in the list on pages 14 to 27. The steamers go along- 
side the wharf at Kingston and there is consequently no 
landing charge. The roads in Jamaica are numerous and 



1 64 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

attractive for motorists, the gradients on the hills being 
not too steep and the fords usually passable. Kingston 
and its suburbs have a smart service of electric trams run 
by the West India Electric Company Ltd. whose lines are 
25 miles in extent. Fare, 2d. a journey. Two lines, the 
" Avenue " and " East Street Belt," run round and through 
the city. Another goes east to within a short distance of 
Rockfort, another north for about six miles to Constant 
Spring, and a third, called the " Hope Gardens " line, runs 
for six miles to Papine, on the way to Gordon Town. 

There are several livery stables in Kingston, including 
those of Harold E. Bolton, W. G. Clark, and A. E. Clough. 
The general charge for carriages for long distances is £1 
per day. On extended tours, arrangements can be made 
for a charge to include the cost of feeding the driver (15. 6d. 
per day) and horses (a charge varying according to the 
market prices of fodder). Double buggies for shopping 
in Kingston and St. Andrew can be had for 6s. per hour, 
and saddle ponies for morning and evening rides 8s. Cabs, 
known locally as " buses," can be hired in Kingston, 
Spanish Town, Old Harbour, Port Antonio, Porus, Lin- 
stead, and Ewarton, for 6d. per journey within the town 
limits, and by arrangement for longer distances. There 
are fair livery stables in most of the country towns of 
the island, where prices are lower than in Kingston. There 
is quite a number of motor-cars in the island, both private 
and for hire, and cars can now be hired at most of the 
principal towns. In Kingston they can be obtained at 
the West Street Garage, the Motor-Car Car and Supplies 
Ltd. (Harbour Street), and Bolton's Motor Service (36 Duke 
Street). The cost is about 15. to is. 3d. per mile, counting 
from the garage back to the garage. 

Mail coaches run regularly at stated times between 
Montego Bay and Lucea (25 miles, 4 hours), fare 8s. ; 
Santa Cruz and Balaclava (16 miles, 3 hours 5 min.), fare 
6s. ; Black River and Ipswich (18 miles, 3 hours 5 min.), 
fare 6s. ; and Savanna-la-Mar and Montpelier (22 miles, 
4 J hours), fare 6s., daily, 

The Jamaica Government Railway (gauge, 4 ft. 8£ in.) 
starts from the west end of Kingston, which it connects 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 



165 



with Spanish Town (£ hour), Old Harbour (1 hour), Porus 
(2% hours), and Montego Bay (7 hours). Another line 
extends from Spanish Town to Bog Walk (25 minutes) and 
Port Antonio (3*- hours, 4 hours and 20 mins. from Kings- 
ton). From Bog Walk, Ewarton is reached by a branch 
line (27 minutes), and another branch line, the first section 
of which was completed in 191 3, opens up the Rio Minho 
valley and Upper Clarendon from May Pen. Week-end 
tickets are issued at the price of a fare and a half. Carriages 
meet all the trains at the principal stations. In the follow- 
ing tables are the names of the stations and their distances 
from Kingston. 

MONTEGO BAY LINE 









Miles from 
Kingston. 


Fares. 




1st Class. 


3rd Class. 






s. d. 


s. d. 


Kingston 


— 


— 


— 


Gregory Park 






6* 


1 


6 


Grange Lane 






9 


1 6 


9 


Spanish Town 






n| 


2 


1 


Hartlands 






15 


2 6 


1 3 


Bushy Park . 






20 


3 6 


1 9 


Old Harbour 






22f 


4 


2 


May Pen 






32* 


5 6 


2 9 


Four Paths . 






37 


6 2 


3 1 


Clarendon Park 






42J 


7 2 


3 7 


Porus . 






46| 


8 


4 


Williamsfield 






53 


8 10 


4 5 


Kendal 






54J 


9 2 


4 7 


Greenvale 






6i£ 


10 2 


5 1 


Balaclava 






7°i 


11 10 


5 11 


Appleton 






76% 


12 10 


6 5 


Ipswich 






851 


14 4 


7 2 


Catadupa 






94 


15 8 


7 10 


Cambridge 






97f 


16 4 


8 2 


Montpelier 






I02f 


17 2 


8 7 


Anchovy 






105J 


17 8 


8 10 


Montego Bay 


II2l 


18 


9 



[Montego Bay can also be reached once a week via St. 
Ann's Bay by motor-car (126 miles) which leaves Gardner's 



1 66 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Store, Harbour Street, every Friday at 8.30 a.m. Fare 
£1 10s. per seat.] 



PORT ANTONIO LINE* 











Miles from 
Kingston. 


Fares. 




1st Class. 


2nd Class. 






5. d. 


s. d. 


Kingston 


— 


— 


— 


Bog Walk 








20£ 


3 6 


1 9 


Riversdale 








26* 


4 1 


2 3 


Troja . 








30f 


5 2 


2 7 


Richmond 








35* 


6 


3 


Albany 








42 


7 


3 6 


Annotto Bay 








49l 


8 4 


4 2 


Buff Bay 








sH 


9 10 


4 11 


Orange Bay 








6ii 


10 4 


5 2 


Hope Bay 








66 


11 


5 6 


St. Margaret's Bay 




69i 


11 8 


5 10 


Port Antonio . . 75 


12 


6 


EWARTON BRANC 


H* 


Kingston 


— 





— 


Linstead 


23I 


4 


2 


Ewarton 


29 


5 


2 6 


Clarendon Bran* 


;Hf 


Kingston 


— 





— 


Suttons 


42£ 


7 6 


3 9 


Chapelton 


45* 


8 


4 



* Connects at Spanish Town, to which the route is identical 
with that on the Montego Bay line. f Connects at May Pen. 

A Government launch plies between Kingston and Port 
Royal five times a day. Fare is. (25 cents). 

Some idea of the very beautiful coast-line of Jamaica may 
be obtained by taking a trip in the coastal steamer which 
starts from Kingston, and 'takes about eight days to 
perform the journey round the island. (Service under 
revision 1914.) The principal ports (going to the east from 
Kingston) are ; 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 167 

Kingston Dry Harbour 

Morant Bay Falmouth 

Port Morant Montego Bay 

Port Antonio Lucea 

Annotto Bay Sav.-la-Mar 

Port Maria Black River 

Ocho Rios Alligator Pond 

St. Ann's Bay Kingston 

The Cuba Railroad Company's 5.5. Prince Rupert leaves 
Kingston and Port Antonio for Santiago (Cuba) on Tuesdays, 
Thursdays and Saturdays — from Port Antonio {j\ hours) 
and from Kingston (17 hours) ; and returns on Mondays, 
Wednesdays and Fridays. Fares, including meals and 
berth, Port Antonio and Santiago, $15.00 ; Kingston and 
Santiago, $12.00. Through routes from Kingston to 
Havana or vice versa, $35.00. Return fare, $60.00. 

SPORTS. Cricket is popular in Jamaica, and the cricket 
clubs include Kingston, Kensington, the Garrison, Mel- 
bourne, and Lucas. Football also has its votaries in the 
cooler months, and lawn-tennis, golf, and croquet are played 
all the year round. Lawn-tennis tournaments, open to 
strangers if introduced, are held at the Liguanea Club at 
Knulsford Park, near Halfway Tree, and the St. Andrew 
Club, at Cross Roads. Polo is very popular, and is played 
weekly at the Camp and on the ground of the Kingston 
Polo Club. The links of the Jamaica Golf Club adjoin the 
Constant Spring Hotel, and there are links at the Liguanea 
Club, where there are also numerous lawn- tennis courts. 
Yachting and rowing can be enjoyed in Kingston and other 
harbours. There is fair sport in Jamaica for rod and gun. 
Blue pigeon, the bald-pate, the ring- tail pigeon, the white- 
wing, the pea dove, the white-belly, and the partridge are 
the principal game-birds. The close time is from March 1 
to about July 15, or sometimes even to August 21. 
Jamaica is also visited every winter by large flocks of duck 
and teal, besides snipe, which afford good sport. With 
regard to fish, snook, snappers, and tarpon are to be caught 
with rod or hand-line at the mouths of nearly all the rivers. 
Tarpon also abound in the bays and inlets, and often scale 
over 100 lb. Higher up the rivers, mountain mullet, sand- 
fish, snook, tarpon, and drummer are all to be caught. 



1 68 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Racing takes place under the Jamaica Jockey Club at 
Knutsford Park, and also on the old Kingston racecourse 
and in the country districts. Jamaica has upwards of 2200 
miles of main roads, most of which are well suited for 
motoring. The gradients rarely exceed 5 per cent., or 1 ft. 
in 20, though occasionally gradients of 20 per cent, are met 
with. Motorists are advised to consult the official " Itiner- 
ary of the Main Roads," published at the Government 
Printing Office. 

SOCIAL CLUBS. Kingston. The Jamaica Club at 59 
Hanover Street in Kingston, founded in 1872, welcomes 
visitors. The Liguanea Club at Knutsford Park opened 
by Chief Justice Sir Fielding Clarke in 19 10, and the St. 
Andrew Club off Cross Roads, founded in 1895, are select 
" Country Clubs." The Royal Jamaica Yacht Club has a 
club-house in Rae Town, which commands a splendid 
view of Kingston harbour. MontegO Bay and the other 
towns of importance also have comfortable social clubs. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Kingston. After rounding Port 
Royal (see page 180), at the extremity of the spit of 
land known as the Palisadoes, the steamer proceeds along 
a buoyed channel in Kingston Harbour. To seaward on 
the land to the left rise the Healthshire Hills, on which is 
Rodney's " Look-out," erected when the great admiral was 
on the Jamaica station, 1771-1774. The grim Apostles 
Battery — so called from the number of its embrasures — ■ 
Fort Henderson and Fort Augusta are passed in succession 
on the left ; but it is not until the steamer is quite near 
the city that Kingston is seen nestling at the foot of the 
superb mountains, the nearer of which is the Long Mountain, 
with the famous Blue Mountains beyond. The first glimpse 
of the city is not prepossessing, for where there might have 
been a sea-wall — if a suggestion made by Mr. E. A. de Pass 
and others after the earthquake and fire of 1907 had been 
carried out — is an ugly line of irregular wharves. 

Kingston, the capital of Jamaica (population 57,379), 
is the largest town in the British West Indies, covering 
as it does with the suburbs an area of about 1080 acres. 
The streets run at right angles to one another, and the 
principal thoroughfares are traversed by electric cars (see 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 169 

page 164). The city has an excellent telephone service, and 
is lighted with gas, while many of the churches and public 
and private buildings have electric light. 

The foundation of the city dates from 1692, when Port 
Royal, then the chief town, was destroyed by an earthquake 
and the survivors moved to the lower part of Liguanea, 
the property of Sir William Beeston, where Kingston 
now stands. It was not, however, until 1870 that the 
city became the capital of Jamaica, the seat of government 
being transferred to it from Spanish Town in that year by 
Governor Sir John Peter Grant. 

On January 14, 1907, Kingston was almost completely 
devastated by earthquake and fire. 

The season was at its height and the number of visitors was 
swelled by a distinguished party, including Lord Dudley and 
Mr. Jesse Collings, brought out by the great shipowner, Sir 
Alfred Jones, in the R.M.S. Port Kingston, to attend the West 
Indian Agricultural Conference which was to be held in Kingston 
for the first time. The day opened brilliantly fine, the sun 
shining from a cloudless sky, and there was no indication of the 
impending disaster. In the morning the Conference met at the 
old Mico College in Hanover Street, and was opened by the 
Governor, Sir Alexander Swettenham. An adjournment was 
made for lunch, and at 2.30 the delegates reassembled. Shortly 
after, a loud rumbling noise was heard, which was at first taken 
to be heavily laden waggons passing down a neighbouring street. 
The rumbling became a roar, punctuated by an appalling 
series of bangs, and in a moment the whole room was shaken 
violently up and down, the floor rising and falling in a distinct 
series of waves. Windows fell out, pictures came tumbling 
down, and all was confusion, the room being filled with debris. 
Similar scenes were being enacted all over the city, which for 
long after the first shock was quite covered by a pall of dust. 
Fire assisted in the work of destruction, and it is estimated that 
the loss of life was between 1000 and 1500 persons, while that 
of property was set down at from £1,000,000 to £1,500,000. 
A Mansion House fund for the relief of the sufferers amounted 
to £55,395, and as the result of representations made by the 
local Legislature and the West India Committee, a free Imperial 
grant was made by Parliament of £150,000 and a loan of 
£800,000 was authorised. The funds were distributed by a 
Relief Committee, afterwards the Assistance Committee. 

The city has since been rebuilt on greatly improved lines. 

On emerging from the Customs sheds, the first street 

one reaches is Port Royal Street, running parallel with 



i;o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the harbour front, in which many merchants' offices and 
warehouses are situated. At the east end is the building 
of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, in which the 
Cable offices of the West India and Panama Telegraph 
Company and the Direct West India Cable Company are 
also housed. Painted yellow, this is one of the most 
picturesque buildings of the post-earthquake Kingston. 
The hall is panelled with West Indian mahogany. 

Parallel to Port Royal. Street is Harbour Street, in which 
some of the best stores are situated. At the east end, a 
little back from the roadway, is the palatial Myrtle Bank 
Hotel, constructed in the old " Mission " style, which 
replaces a red brick building wrecked in 1907. It has two 
wings stretching towards the harbour, which secure for the 
hotel the full benefit of the refreshing sea breeze, appro- 
priately called the " Doctor." 

Harbour Street is intersected near the centre by King 
Street, the most important thoroughfare in Kingston, 
which extends from the water front to the Victoria Park, 
and beyond that again to the northern limits of the city. 

Near the water side is a statue of Sir Charles Metcalfe, 
Governor from 1839 to 1842, by Edward Hodges Baily, 
R.A., a pupil of Flaxman, which was first erected in Spanish 
Town, the House of Assembly voting ^3000 for the pur- 
pose. It was subsequently placed at the top of King 
Street, but was removed to its present site in 1898 to make 
room for a statue of Queen Victoria. It now stands on a 
pedestal which for some years supported Bacon's statue of 
Rodney, now at Spanish Town. 

Sir Charles Metcalfe, who was one of Jamaica's most 
popular Governors, is represented bareheaded and wearing 
the insignia of the Bath. On the original pedestal is the 
following inscription : 

This Statue 

is erected in honor of 

The Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, Bart. k.cb. 

Now Baron Metcalfe 

By the grateful inhabitants of Jamaica 

in commemoration 

of the benefits derived from 

his wise, just and beneficial administration 

of the government of the island 

A.D, 1845 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 171 

On the lower pedestal, erected to receive Rodney's 
statue, is placed an earthenware tablet (similar to those 
erected by the Royal Society of Arts in London) which 
was put up by the Institute of Jamaica in 1892, to record 
the following fact : 

12 feet west of the 
centre of this pedestal, 

Commander Green, 

u.s.n. in 1875 erected the 

longitude STATION OF 

Kingston and found it to be 

5h. 7m. 10.65 s. (76 47' 39-8") 

West of Greenwich. 

ij 

Proceeding from the Metcalfe statue up the street, one 
comes to the Victoria Market on the right, a commodious 
iron structure which cost, including the lands purchased, 
^22,778. The market presents an animated scene in the 
early hours of the morning, especially at Christmas, and 
should certainly be visited about 6 a.m. After crossing 
Harbour Street, the imposing building of the Colonial 
Bank, with frontages on that street, King Street and 
Water Lane, is reached. It is built in Queen Anne style 
from designs by Messrs. Hoare and Wheeler, and was 
opened in 1909. The plinth is finished with green marble 
from Sweden, and the roof is covered with green glazed 
tiles, which with the copper-covered domes strike a pleasing 
note of colour. 

Nearly opposite the Bank is the restaurant called The 
Oleanders, which is a favourite resort for luncheon and 
at tea-time. 

A little higher up King Street on the left is the imposing 
building of the Bank of Nova Scotia, m the upper floor 
of which the rooms of the Royal Jamaica Society of Agri- 
culture and Merchants' Exchange — the local Chamber 
of Commerce — are situated. The architects were Messrs. 
Darling and Pearson, of Toronto, who chose the Mission 
style as being most appropriate for the site. The banking 
hall is a particularly handsome and well- ventilated room. 
On the right of King Street in the Coronation Building, 
which faces on to Tower Street, is the office of the Jamaica 



172 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Tourist Association* where between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. 
information of every kind regarding the island can be 
obtained free of charge, expeditions planned, &c. 

Beyond the Bank are the Public Buildings in two 
blocks, one on either side of the street. After the earth- 
quake of 1907 Sir Sydney Olivier, the then Governor, saw, 
and wisely grasped, the opportunity of concentrating the 
various Government offices, which till then had been as 
widely scattered as the branches of the Board of Trade in 
London. The result is two handsome blocks of buildings, 
each covering an area of approximately 32,430 sq. ft., and 
enclosing a space laid out with gardens and palm trees. 
Both blocks were designed by Sir Charles Nicholson, and 
consist of three floors, while each has a flat roof, which 
with the verandahs and colonnades gives the building quite 
an Eastern appearance. The western block was built by 
Messrs. Cowlin and Son, Bristol, but the eastern one was 
constructed in its entirety by Messrs. Mais and Sant, a 
local firm. The western block contains the Treasury and 
Savings Bank, the offices of the Collector-General, the 
Collector of Taxes, the Stamp and Customs Department, and 
on the uppermost floor the Audit Office, while at the 
northern end is the spacious Post and Telegraph Office. 
The eastern block is devoted to the Supreme Court, the 
Law Library, the offices of the Attorney- General and 
Administrator-General, the Registry of Titles and the 
Kingston Court, while the upper floor is occupied by the 
offices of the Inspector-General of Constabulary and 
Prisons, the Surveyor-General and Land Department, the 
Education Department and the Board of Education. To 
the east of this block a charming garden extends to Church 
Street. The fittings and furniture throughout the buildings 
were specially constructed from native hard- wood. 

The Railway Station of the Jamaica Government 
Railway stands some blocks to the west of the Public 
Buildings, and can be reached by Barry Street, which runs 
past the northern end of the Post Office. 

Beyond the Public Buildings on the right-hand side of King 
Street stands the Parish Church. When in 1695 Kingston 
was laid out by Colonel Christian Lilly after the destruction 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 173 

of Port Royal three years previously, provision was made 
for a Parish Church. The year of its actual construction is 
not known, but the earliest date on a tombstone is 1699, 
and on the Communion plate 1701. The first Rector was 
the Rev. William Collins, M.A., of St. Catherine's College, 
Cambridge, who was appointed in 170 1. A tower was 
added between the years 1740 and 1774- About the 
beginning of the nineteenth century the building was 
extended in length and a handsome Baldacchino was added. 
In 1 883 to 1 885 the building was considerably enlarged by the 
addition of side aisles, giving extra accommodation for 500 
persons and making sitting room for 1200 in all. In 1895 
the Vestry was added and the old brick wall, which formerly 
surrounded the churchyard, was replaced by present railing. 
The church was very seriously damaged by the earthquake 
of 1907, but happily the roof and floor of the church 
remained intact, and the organ (erected in 1878), the lectern 
(1886), the bell (1890), the pulpit (1891) were saved from 
the wreckage. The church was restored on its original 
lines with slight modifications — which included an extension 
of the nave by 18 ft. at the western end, so that it now 
covers the ground occupied by the old tower. It was 
opened for Divine Service on February 21, 19 10. The 
Church has always been known as the Kingston Parish 
Church, and no record exists of its ever having been 
dedicated to any Saint, till, on its reconsecration when 
rebuilt after the earthquake, it was dedicated to St. 
Thomas. 

Most treasured of all its monuments is the tombstone, 
in the chancel, of Vice-Admiral John Benbow, who died 
on November 4, 1702, " of a wound in his leg received in 
an engagement with Mons. du Casse " during a battle on 
August 2i, 1702, which is described in " West Indian Tales 
of Old." 

The gallant Benbow, with one ship, engaged the French 
squadron, consisting of five ships. The battle began on 
August 19. Out of seven English ships five refused to 
support Benbow, and a sixth was soon disabled. But in the 
Breda he attacked the Frenchmen, and was three times 
boarded. He was shot in the leg, and, when sympathised 



174 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

with, he said, " I am sorry for it too ; but I had rather have 
lost them both than have seen dishonour brought upon the 
English nation. But, do you hear, if another shot should 
take them off, behave like brave men and fight it out." 
But the day was lost and the Breda returned to Jamaica 
with the wounded and disconsolate Admiral. Monsieur Du 
Casse, in a letter to Benbow, wrote, " I had little hope 
on Monday last but to have supped in your cabin, but it 
pleased God to order* otherwise, and I am thankful for it. 
As for those cowardly captains who deserted you, hang 
them up ; for, by God, they deserve it." Two of the 
captains were tried by a Council of War and were sent 
home and shot on board the Bristol at Portsmouth, not 
being suffered to land on English ground. A third was 
condemned to imprisonment and loss of pay, and a fourth 
died. The tombstone is inscribed : 

HERE LYETH INTERRED THE BODY OF 

JOHN BENBOW ESQ. 

ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE 

A TRUE PATTERN OF ENGLISH COURAGE WHO LOST HIS LIFE IN 

DEFENCE OF HIS QUEENE AND COUNTRY 

NOVEMBER YE 4TH I702 

IN THE 52 D YEAR OF HIS AGE 

BY A WOUND IN HIS LEGG RECEIUED IN AN ENGAGEMENT WITH 

MONS R DU CASSE 

BEING MUCH LAMENTED. 

Other monuments of note are those of Malcolm Laing 
and his wife (1794) and Dr. Fortunatus D'Warris and his 
step-daughter (1792), all by John Bacon, R.A. ; Edward 
Manning (1756), Member of the House of Assembly for 
Kingston ; John Wolmer, the founder of Wolmer's School ; 
William May, Rector (1722) ; Captain Samuel Phillipps 
(1757), who received a gold medal and chain for cutting out 
H.M.S. Solebay from St. Martin's Road ; John Jacques 
(181 5), first Mayor of Kingston ; and Vice-Admiral 
Bartholomew Rowley (181 1). In the churchyard are the 
tombs of Janet Scott, sister of Michael Scott (author of 
" Tom Cringle's Log "), of Robert Bogle, his brother-in- 
law, and of Robert Hamilton, who was the original " Aaron 
Bang " in the " Log." 

Amongst other places of worship in Kingston are St. 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 175 

George's in East Street, St. Michael's in East Queen Street 
(both Anglican) ; the Scotch Kirk in Duke Street, the 
Calabar Church (Baptist) in East Queen Street, and the 
Jewish Synagogue in East Street. 

Beyond the church and facing down King Street is a 
Statue of Queen Victoria from the chisel of E. Edward 
Geflowski, erected in 1897 at a cost of £800, which was 
voted by the Legislature to commemorate the Diamond 
Jubilee. Though the statue was not overthrown by the 
earthquake ten years later, it was turned about a third 
of the way round on its pedestal by that occurrence. 

Behind is Victoria Park, an open space, now adorned 
with trees and with a fountain, which was formerly used 
as a market and a parade ground for the troops. It was 
for many years known as the Parade Gardens ; but in 19 14 
the name was, at the suggestion of the local branch of the 
Victoria League, changed by the Mayor and Corporation to 
Victoria Park. On February 14 of that year the ceremony 
of naming the park was performed by Princess Marie Louise 
of Schleswig-Holstein, grand-daughter of Queen Victoria. 
The statue on the east side represents Edward Jordan, a 
native of the island who took a prominent part in the eman- 
cipation movement and was decorated with the C.B. On 
the north side is the statue of Dr. Bowerbank, a former 
Member of the House of Assembly and Custos of Kingston 
(1862), who originated many local charities. 

The Ward Theatre, presented to the city by the late 
Lieut. -Colonel Hon. C. J. Ward, C.M.G., for many years 
Custos of Kingston, is in North Parade Street at the north 
side of Victoria Park. It was designed by Mr. Rudolph 
Henriques, a local architect, erected by his firm, and opened 
in 191 2. A portrait of the generous donor, by Mr. Tennyson 
Cole, hangs in the vestibule. 

The Coke Chapel, which also faces the Park (on the 
east side), is of interest from its having been erected on the 
site where Doctor Coke, Wesley's colleague, used to preach. 
Headquarters House, where the Legislative Council 
has met since 1870, when the Government was removed 
from Spanish Town to Kingston, stands at the junction of 
Duke and Beeston Streets. It is one of the few buildings 



176 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

of note in Kingston which escaped the earthquake conflagra- 
tion of 1907, and is said to owe its origin to a wager made 
by four wealthy merchants, Jasper Hall, Thomas Hibbert, 
John Bull, and another, as to who should build the most 
magnificent dwelling. The result was the erection of 
Jasper Hall (which, till the earthquake, stood in High 
Holborn Street), Headquarters House, Bull House in North 
Street, and a house in Hanover Street, once called ' ' Har- 
mony Hall." History does not relate who won the bet, 
but Mr. Frank Cundall, who tells the story, thinks that it 
should have been Jasper Hall. Headquarters House 
during the lifetime of Thomas Hibbert, who arrived in 
Jamaica in 1734 and became one of the principal and most 
wealthy merchants of Kingston, was called " Hibbert 's 
House," and it was given its present name when it was 
acquired by the War Office. Mr. Hibbert was buried on 
Agualta Vale estate, now the property of Sir John Pringle, 
in St. Mary, where his tomb can be seen. 

The Institute of Jamaica in East Street, rebuilt after 
the earthquake in reinforced brick and concrete (A. E. 
Herschel, architect), has a library of nearly 14,000 volumes. 
It is especially rich in Jamaican and West Indian literature. 
The collection includes an extremely rare set of old news- 
papers and a unique series of almanacs and handbooks. 
Members (5s. per annum), subscribers to the library (25. 
per quarter), and members of affiliated societies (no fees) 
can borrow books. The Institute also has a reading- 
room, a museum of unique interest, containing as it 
does zoological, geological, botanical, and archaeological 
specimens, and an art gallery with a collection of portraits 
of Jamaica worthies to the number of 200. In the museum 
may be seen the bell of the old church of Port Royal, 
which was engulfed in the earthquake of 1692 ; two silver- 
gilt maces, formerly belonging to the House of Assembly 
and the Council ; the original " Shark Papers," whose story 
was made use of by Michael Scott in the "Cruise of the 
Midge," a remarkable old gibbet, and other objects of 
interest. In 1855 the Port Royal bell was discarded, its 
tone having been spoilt by a crack. Somehow or other it 
found its way into an old curiosity shop, from which it was 



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JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 177 

rescued during the administration of Sir John Peter Grant. 
The bell bears the following inscription : 

Ihesv Maria et Verbum Caro Factum est et Abita 

from the 14th verse of the first chapter of St. John's Epistle 
in the Vulgate : " Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in 
nobis. ." It also bears a cross formed by a series of stars 
and two small designs in relief, placed in duplicate on 
opposite sides, representing the Virgin and Child, and 
probably St. George or St. Michael. The story of the 
famous " Shark Papers," as narrated by Mr. Frank Cundall, 
the cultured Secretary of the Institute, is briefly as follows : 

The brig Nancy, of 125 tons, owned by Germans by birth but 
naturalised citizens of the United States, left Baltimore for 
Curacao on July 3, 1799, commanded by Thomas Briggs, her 
cargo consisting of dry goods, provisions, and lumber. She put 
in at Oruba, and proceeded to Port au Prince, in Haiti, and 
having carried away her maintop mast she was making the 
best of her way to the Isle of Ash, or Isle la Vache, a small island 
off the south coast of Haiti, when, on August 28, she was cap- 
tured by H.M.S. Sparrow, a cutter commanded by Hugh Wylie, 
and sent in to Port Royal with another prize, a Spanish cruiser. 
A "libel," or suit for salvage, was brought in the Court of 
Vice- Admiralty at Kingston on September 9, 1799, by George 
Crawford Recketts, Advocate-General, on behalf of Hugh Wylie, 
Esq., Commander of H.M. cutter Sparrow, against " a certain 
brig or vessel called the Nancy, her guns, tackle, furniture, 
ammunition, and apparel, and the goods, wares, merchandise, 
specie, and effects on board her, taken and seized as the property 
of some person, or persons, being enemies of our Sovereign Lord 
and King, and good and lawful prize on the high seas, and 
within the jurisdiction of this Court." A claim for the dismissal 
of the suit, with costs, was put in on September 14, backed by 
affidavits, in which, as it subsequently transpired, Briggs and 
Schultze of the Nancy perjured themselves freely. While the 
case was proceeding, Michael Fitton, acting Lieutenant, produced 
on the same day certain papers which he had found in a shark 
caught off Jacmel, while he was cruising in the Ferret, a tender 
of H.M.S. Abergavenny, the flagship at Port Royal. He was 
cruising in company with Wylie, who was in command of the 
Sparrow cutter, another tender of the Abergavenny. They had 
gone out with the object of earning for the stationary flagship a 
share of the prizes which were constantly being taken by the 
cruisers. On rejoining after an accidental separation, Fitton 
invited Wylie by signal to come to breakfast : and while waiting 
for him the shark was caught, and the papers were found. When 

M 



1 78 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Wylie came on board the Ferret, he mentioned that he had 
detained an American brig called the Nancy. Fitton thereupon 
said he had her papers. " Papers ? " answered Wylie ; " why, 
I sealed up her papers and sent them in with her." " Just so," 
replied Fitton, ' ' those were her false papers ; here are her real 
ones." These papers, together with others of an incriminating 
nature, found on the Nancy some time after her capture, con- 
cealed in the captain's cabin, in a cask of salt pork, " so hard 
drove in that it was with difficulty they could be taken out," 
led to the condemnation of the brig and her cargo on November 
2 5> I 799- It m ay be mentioned here that, about three years 
before, the Nancy had been captured by a French privateer, 
and carried into Guadeloupe, and there condemned as American 
propert}^. The old Court-house of Kingston, in which the case 
was tried (now used for domestic purposes), is still standing at 
the south-west corner of Hanover and Harbour Streets. The 
shark's jaws were set up on shore, with the inscription, "Lieut. 
Fitton recommends these jaws for a collar for neutrals to swear 
through." 

The actual papers found in the shark lay until 1890 
(with the affidavit of Lieut. Fitton) in the archives of the 
Court of Vice-Admiralty, where are many other documents 
of great interest connected with Jamaica's early history. 
They are now placed in the Institute of Jamaica. They 
consist of letters written in German, and are wrapped in 
another piece of paper, on which is written a memoran- 
dum of their authenticity by John Fraser, who was then 
Surrogate in the Court of Vice-Admiralty. Copies have 
been made for reference of all the papers now in the 
Vice-Admiralty Court concerning this strange case, and 
from them have been gathered the particulars given 
above. 

In the United Service Museum, London, is the head of 
the shark which swallowed the papers. In this connection it 
may be mentioned that another case somewhat similar, 
though fraught with less dramatic results, occurred twenty 
years since at Kingston, when a well-known resident by 
the harbour shot a crocodile, and found in it the collar of his 
wife's favourite cat ! 

The Jamaica Club is housed in a spacious building in 
Hanover Street, in which the Masonic Temple is also 
situated. 

In Wesley Chapel, in Tower Street, used to stand 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 179 

one of the most curious pulpits in the Empire. It was 
built around the mast of a ship sunk in the ground and 
encased in copper, and stood 24 ft. high. It was encircled 
by a spiral staircase entirely of wood, the whole being 
constructed of Jamaica mahogany. The pulpit was the 
work and the gift of a black man who had been a slave, and 
has been valued at /400. 

To the north of the old racecourse are the twin buildings 
of Wolmer's Schools, a charity established by John 
Wolmer of Kingston, a goldsmith, by his will dated May 21, 
1729, now Kingston's foremost school, and behind them 
the Mico College (for training elementary school teachers, 
founded under the Lady Mico charity in 1834), reconstructed 
after the earthquake, then partially destroyed by fire in 
1 910, and again rebuilt. The Mico Charity was originally 
established by the will of Lady Mico, widow of Sir Samuel 
Mico, a member of the Mercers' Company, who died in 1666 
and left ^1000 " to redeem poor slaves," and by the middle 
of the nineteenth century the original sum had increased 
to £1 20,000, which, when slavery was abolished, enabled 
the college to be founded. 

At the village of Halfway Tree there is a memorial to 
King Edward which takes the form of a clock-tower 
embellished with a bust of our late sovereign, and, under it, 
the words : 

KING EDWARD VII THE PEACEMAKER. 

The memorial, which owed its inception to Mr. L. A. 
Rattigan, a patriotic son of Jamaica, was unveiled on 
March 28, 1913, by Governor Sir William Manning. The 
parish church of St. Andrew, near by, like that at Kingston, 
lost its tower as a result of the earthquake of 1907, and its 
nave has been extended westward over the site of it. The 
first church was built on the old burial-ground between Con- 
stant Spring Road and King's House. The second, which 
was. built in 1685 near the present site, was ruined by the 
earthquake of 1692. The present church was completed in 
1700, but it has been much altered since then. The 
registers date back to 1666 and are the oldest in the island, 
though the earlier ones are only a transcript. Though he 



180 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

was buried in Kingston, Admiral Benbow's burial is recorded 
in the St. Andrew's register. Among the monuments of 
interest may be mentioned those of the Hon. James Lawes 
(1733), by JohnCheere, one of the best pieces of iconic sculp- 
ture in the island ; Zachary Bayly (1769), with an epitaph by 
his nephew and heir, Bryan Edwards the historian ; Admiral 
D avers (1746) ; and General William A. Villettes (1808), 
Lieutenant-Governor, by Sir Richard Westmacott. Rear- 
Admiral Charles Holmes, Commander-in-Chief, 1760— 
61 ; Christopher Lipscomb, first Bishop of Jamaica ; Lucas 
Barrett, geologist ; Commodore Peter Cracroft (1865) ; and 
Sir James Fergusson, who was killed by the earthquake of 
1907, were buried in the churchyard. 

In the old burial-ground at Halfway Tree lie buried 
George Bennett, who " came here a soldier under General 
Venables," and two infant sons of Governor Sir William 
Beeston, who died in 1677 and 1678, and Elizabeth Dalling. 

King's House, the official residence of the Governor, is 
about 4 miles from Kingston in the parish of St. Andrews, 
on the Liguanea Plain. Like the Public Buildings it was 
designed by Sir Charles Nicholson ; it is constructed of 
reinforced concrete. The building comprises three floors, 
the rooms being arranged round an open patio, and most 
of them opening on to broad verandahs. The billiard- and 
ball-rooms are lofty apartments, the latter measuring 
70 ft. by 30 ft. The grounds cover about 177 acres, and 
the main approach is by a drive hedged in with many 
beautiful palms, and is gay with hibiscus, poinsettia, and 
many flowering shrubs. 



The historic town of Port Royal stands at the extremity 
of the spit of sand known as the Palisadoes, which protects 
Kingston Harbour. It can be reached by Government 
launch from the Ordnance Wharf {see page 166) . It is of great 
historic interest, and was, prior to the earthquake of 
June 7, 1692, considered " the finest town in the West 
Indies, and at that time the richest spot in the universe," 
being as it was the headquarters of the buccaneers, and 
as such the emporium and mart of their ill-gotten wealth. 

The rector of the parish thus described the disaster j 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 181 




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1 82 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Whole streets, with their inhabitants, were swallowed up by 
the opening of the earth, which, when shut upon them, squeezed 
the people to death, and in that manner several were left with 
their heads above ground, and others covered with dust and 
earth by the people who remained in the place. It was a sad 
sight to see the harbour covered with dead bodies of people of 
all conditions, floating up and down without burial, for the bury- 
ing place was destroyed by the earthquake, which dashed to 
pieces tombs, and the sea washed the carcases of those who had 
been buried out of their graves. 

At Green Bay, across the harbour, there is still to be seen 
the tomb of Lewis Galdy, a native of Montpelier in France, 
a merchant, Member of the Assembly, and Churchwarden 
of Port Royal, who " was swallowed up by the earthquake, 
and by the providence of God was, by another shock, 
thrown into the sea and saved. The tomb is inscribed : 

HERE LYES THE BODY OF 

LEWIS GALDY, ESQ., 

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE AT PORT ROYAL THE 22ND DECEMBER 

I739- 

HE WAS BORN AT MONTPELIER IN FRANCE, BUT LEFT THAT 

COUNTRY FOR HIS RELIGION AND CAME TO SETTLE 

IN THIS ISLAND, WHERE HE WAS SWALLOWED UP IN 

THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN THE YEAR 1 692 

AND BY THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD WAS BY ANOTHER SHOCK 

THROWN INTO THE SEA, AND MIRACULOUSLY SAVED BY 

SWIMMING UNTIL A BOAT TOOK HIM UP ; HE LIVED 

MANY YEARS AFTER IN GREAT REPUTATION, BELOVED BY ALL 

WHO KNEW HIM, AND MUCH LAMENTED AT HIS DEATH. 

Port Royal was destroyed by fire in 1703, and again in 
1 81 6 ; and in 1722 it was devastated by a hurricane. 

In front of the officers' quarters is a lawn, at each corner 
of which is a colossal figure-head painted in gaudy colours. 
One is the figure-head of H.M.S. Aboukir, a former port 
guardship, wrongly said to represent Lord Nelson. 

The chief objects of interest are the church and Fort 
Charles, where Nelson commanded in 1779. The staircase 
or entrance to what is known as " Nelson's Quarter Deck " 
— a space on the ramparts adjoining the great hero's quarters 
— still stands as shown in the illustration. Over the door- 
way the arms of Nelson are emblazoned on a panel, and on 
an adjacent wall there is the stirring injunction : 




THE ENTRANCE TO NELSON S QUARTERS, PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA 

Nelson's coat-of-arms can be seen painted up over the door 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 183 

IN THIS PLACE DWELT HORATIO NELSON 

YE WHO TREAD HIS FOOTPRINTS 

REMEMBER HIS GLORY. 

The fort takes its name from King Charles II. It was 
commenced in 1662, and rebuilt by Lilly in 1699 after the 
earthquake. St. Peter's Church, built in 1725-26, contains 
a large number of naval and military monuments, the most 
striking among which are those to Lieutenant William 
Stapleton, R.N. (1784), who was killed by the bursting of 
a cannon at Port Morant, by Roubiliac, and to Captain 
Augustus James de Crespigny (1825), who served under 
Nelson at Trafalgar. 

Port Royal used to be an important naval station, but 
the dockyard has now been closed and reduced to the 
position of a " cadre " after an existence of practically two 
and a half centuries. The port guardship H.M.S. Urgent 
was removed in 1903. 

On the Palisadoes is Gallow's Point, now a mangrove- 
covered promontory, where many a pirate was hanged as 
described in " Tom Cringle's Log " : 

The signal had been given — the lumbering flap of the long 
drop was heard, and five-and-twenty human beings were waver- 
ing in the sea breeze in the agonies of death ! The other eighteen 
suffered on the same spot the week following ; and for long after, 
this fearful and bloody example struck terror into the Cuban 
fishermen. 

There is also a burial-ground on the Palisadoes. 

On the Hope road, out of Kingston, is the Jamaica 
College, one of the Colony's principal boys' schools, and 
also Hope Gardens, a beautiful botanical garden, covering 
210 acres, which is the headquarters of the Director of 
Agriculture, and is reached by tram (5^ miles from the city). 
It occupies the site of Hope Sugar Estate, which was once 
the property of Lady Temple, afterwards Marchioness of 
Buckingham. Large nurseries contain upwards of 100,000 
plants, such as orange, cocoa, rubber, nutmeg, mango, 
coffee, &c. The Farm School which is attached to the 
gardens affords agricultural training to the sons of small 
farmers. A botanical station of still greater beauty is 
that known as Castleion Gardens in the parish of St. 



1 84 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Mary, on the road between Kingston and Annotto Bay. 
The gardens, which are 19 miles from Kingston, are 456 ft. 
above the sea and contain a large collection of tropical 
plants and economic spice and fruit trees. The Gardens, 
which were established about 1862 on the banks of the 
Wag Water, are a 19-mile drive over Stoney Hill and down 
the valley of the Wag Water. The expedition requires a 
whole day, and lunch may be had at Castleton Cottages. 
In the Gardens may be seen in lavish profusion specimens 
of almost every known tropical plant, including cocoa- 
trees, rubber, kola, cardamoms, nutmegs, pine-apples, &c. 

The tram-cars run beyond Hope Gardens to Papine 
Corner, from which a drive may be taken up the romantic 
Hope River valley to Gordon Town (9 miles from King- 
ston). Here ponies or buggies can be obtained for a ride 
or drive to Newcastle, the old military cantonment, 
4000 ft. above the sea (19 miles from Kingston), which was 
established during the Governorship of Sir Charles Metcalfe 
(1839-1841). 

From Newcastle to Catherine's Peak there is a fair 
riding-road. The view of both sides of the island from the 
Peak is very beautiful. The road from Newcastle is 
continued to Hardwar Gap and down the Buff River 
Valley to Buff Bay on the north side of the island. 

From Gordon Town the drive may be extended through 
exquisite scenery to Mavis Bank, lying in a superb amphi- 
theatre of hills in the heart of the district which produces 
the world-famous Blue Mountain coffee. 

The expedition to Blue Mountain Peak (7360 ft.) and 
back takes two days, and should only be undertaken by 
those who can ride or care for hill-climbing on foot. 
Arrangements for the trip can be made at the offices of the 
Jamaica Tourist Association. Tourists are recommended 
to drive to Gordon Town or Mavis Bank early enough to 
arrive by 9 a.m. There they can be met by ponies, ordered 
overnight, and proceed by zigzag bridle-paths up the 
mountain side past Petersfield coffee plantation, over 
Guava Ridge, through Mavis Bank, passing the church on 
the left, down Green Valley, over the river, and then 
turning abruptly to the left. Magnificent views are 




u S 

t -1 a; 






JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 185 

obtained of Cinchona, Catherine's Peak, Content Gap, and 
the valley of the Clyde. The night is spent in a small hut 
at the summit of the Peak. 



Spanish Town, or St. Jago de la Vega, on the banks of 
the Rio Cobre (the Copper River) (-£■ hour from Kingston 
by train), was the former capital of the island. Visitors 
who prefer to drive to Spanish Town along the broad high 
road pass the historic " Ferry Inn " at the boundary 
between Kingston and St. Catherine, just before the seventh 
milestone and the huge silk-cotton tree near by, referred 
to in " Tom Cringle's Log," which trunk described as 
" twenty feet through of solid timber ; that is, not including 
the enormous spars that shoot out like buttresses, and end in 
strong twisted roots, that strike deep into the earth and 
form stays, as it were, to the tree in all directions." 

The "Ferry Inn," which was once a popular "half-way 
house, " has long since fallen from its high estate, the need for 
it having been obviated since the construction of the railway. 
Lady Nugent makes several references to it in her Journal.* 
She visited it on various occasions in 1803, and wrote : 

I was much entertained ; for the Inn is situated on the road 
between Kingston and Spanish Town, and it was very diverting 
to see the odd figures and extraordinary equipages constantly 
passing — kittareens, sulkies, mules, and donkies. Then a host 
of gentlemen, who were taking their sangaree in the Piazza ; and 
their vulgar buckism amused me very much. Some of them got 
half tipsy, and then began petitioning me for my interest with 
his Honour — to redress the grievance of one, to give a place to 
another, and so forth ; in short it was a picture of Hogarth . . . 

Spanish Town was once a town of considerable im- 
portance, and the well- constructed group of Government 
Buildings round its central square testifies to its former 
grandeur. Among the more notable of these is the old 
King's House, the official residence of former Governors, 
on the west side. It was built from designs by Craskell, 
the then engineer of the island. The plans were approved 
during the administration of Lieutenant-Governor Henry 
Moore in 1759-62, and the building was completed in 

* First printed for private circulation in 1839 ; published in an 
abbreviated form in 1907. 



1 86 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

1762, after the arrival of the Governor, William Henry 
Lyttelton. The expense of building the house, which was 
considered the " noblest and best edifice of the kind, either 
in North America or any of the British Colonies in the West 
Indies," amounted to nearly ^21,428 sterling. The facade 
is about 200 ft. long, and we are told that the freestone 
used in its construction came from the Hope River course 
in St. Andrew's. The columns supporting the portico are 
of Portland stone, and the pavement of white marble. 
Long, in his "History of Jamaica," gave the following 
description of the interior in about 1774 : 

Two principal entrances lead through it into the body of the 
house ; the one opens into a lobby or antechamber, the other 
into the great saloon, or hall of audience, which is well propor- 
tioned, the dimensions being about 71 by 30 ft. and the height 
about 32 ; from the ceiling, which is covered, hang two brass 
gilt lustres. A screen, of seven large Doric pillars, divides the 
saloon from an upper and lower gallery of communication, 
which range the whole length on the west side ; and the upper 
one is secured with an elegant entrelas of figured ironwork. The 
east or opposite side of the saloon is finished with Doric pilasters, 
upon each of which are brass girandoles double-gilt ; and between 
each pilaster, under the windows of the attic story, are placed, 
on gilt brackets, the busts of several ancient and modern philo- 
sophers and poets, large as life ; which, being in bronze, the 
darkness of their complexion naturally suggests the idea of so 
many Negroe Caboceros, exalted to this honourable distinction 
for some peculiar services rendered to the country. At the 
north end, over a door which opens into the lobby, is a small 
movable orchestra, made to hold a band of music on festive 
occasions. The furniture below consists of a great number of 
mahogany chairs and settees, sufficient to accommodate a large 
company, this room being chiefly used for public audiences, 
entertainments, balls, and the hearings of chancery and ordinary. 
At the south end are three folding doors, opening into a spacious 
apartment, in which, by the Governor's permission, the Council 
usually meet ; whence it has received the name of the council- 
chamber. . . . Above the council-chamber is a banqueting- 
room, or drawing-room, of the same size, hung with paper, and 
neatly furnished. This room communicates with the upper 
gallery and a back staircase, and enjoys a view of the saloon 
through some windows ranging with those of the attic story : 
it is seldom used except on public days, and is perfectly well 
calculated for the purpose. These different apartments take up 
about one half of the whole building. The room over the lobby, 
being somewhat darkened by the pediment of the portico, was 
converted by Governor Lyttelton into a chapel for private 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 187 

devotions. It is neatly fitted up, and with great propriety 
adapted to this use. The northern division of the house con- 
sists of three large rooms below, communicating with each other, 
and with a long gallery, all of which are handsomely furnished 
and well lighted : this gallery has commonly been used either 
for public suppers, when balls were given in the hall, or as a 
sheltered and retired walk in wet weather. The upper story 
is disposed in a suite of chambers, divided by a long narrow 
gallery from a range of smaller apartments. 

Curiously enough, as was the case with the Law Courts 
in London, the question of a grand staircase appears to 
have been completely overlooked when the designs were 
passed. Opposite King's House is the building in which the 
House of Assembly used to meet. 

The north side of the square is graced by a stately 
memorial of Admiral Rodney, who defeated de Grasse off 
Dominica on April 12, 1782. A temple, with a cupola and 
lanthorn supported on open arches, and connected with 
the neighbouring buildings by a colonnade, shelters a statue 
of this naval hero by the elder Bacon. On the front panel 
of the pedestal is the following inscription : 

GEORG. BRYDG. RODNEY 

BARON RODNEY 

NAVAL. PRAEL. VICTORI 

PRID. ID. APRILIS 

A.D., MDCCLXXXII. 

BRITANN. PACEM REST. 

D.D.D. S.P.Q. JAMAICENSIS. 

Which may be rendered : 

TO GEORGE BRYDGES RODNEY 

BARON RODNEY 

VICTOR IN A SEA FIGHT 

ON THE DAY BEFORE THE IDES OF APRIL 

IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD I782. 

HE RESTORED PEACE TO BRITAIN. 

THE LEGISLATURE AND THE PEOPLE OF JAMAICA 

PRESENTED [THIS MEMORIAL]. 

Rodney is represented as clad in a short-sleeved tunic and 
he has a cloak over his right arm. On his feet are sandals 
and a Medusa's head is suspended from his neck. This 
statue was considered one of Bacon's finest works. It 
is flanked by two fine bronze cannon, cast at Douai in 



1 88 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

1748 by Jean Maritz, which were captured from the 
Ville de Paris, the magnificent vessel which was the gift of 
the city of Paris to Louis XV. One of these extremely 
handsome pieces of ordnance, whose decoration was on 
a par with the splendour of the French flagship, is called 
" Le Precipice," and the other " Le Modeste," and they 
bear the following inscription : 

ULTIMA RATIO REGUM 

PLURIBUS NEC IMPAR, 

LOUIS CHARLES DE BOURBON 

COMTE D'EU 

DUC D'AUMALE. 

Precisely similar cannon are included in the collection at 
the Tower of London. 

It is fitting here to recall that the memorable battle 
which secured to us our West Indian colonies began at 
7 a.m. on the glorious April 12, and lasted until 6.30 p.m.* 
The English lost 261 killed and 837 wounded, and of the 
French no fewer than 14,000 were accounted for as captured 
or killed. The Ville de Paris carried 108 guns and 1300 
men. When Spanish Town — the St. Jago de la Vega of the 
Spanish, founded in 1523 — ceased to be the capital of 
Jamaica, during the governorship of Sir John Peter Grant 
in 1870, Rodney's statue was removed to Kingston, but such 
was the outcry of the inhabitants of the former city, that 
it had to be replaced. In the Gallery in the Institute of 
Jamaica is the painting by R. E. Pine, exhibited at the 
Royal Academy in 1784, and described as " Portrait of Lord 
Rodney in action aboard the Formidable, attended by his 
principal officers " ; the time chosen for reproduction being 
evidently that when the Ville de Paris struck her flag to the 
Barfleur. 

Near the Central Square is the Cathedral, dedicated to 
St. Catherine, and constructed of red bricks, which form a 
pleasing contrast to the surrounding foliage. An inscrip- 
tion over the door records that the church was " thrown 
downe by ye Dreadfull Hurricane of August ye 28 Anno 

* An account of the Battle of the Saints, as the engagement 
was called, is given in " West Indian Tales of Old." London : 
Duckworth and Co. 




THE RODNEY MEMORIAL, SPANISH TOWN, JAMAICA 

The guns flanking the statue were taken from the Ville de Paris 




GOVERNMENT HOUSE, TRINIDAD 

This palatial residence of the Governor overlooks the Savannah 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 189 

Domini MDCCXII and was rebuilt in 17 14." The present 
tower was added in 1817. This, the oldest cathedral in the 
British Colonies, has many monuments, of which the most 
notable is one by Bacon, erected by the people of Jamaica 
to the Earl and Countess of Effingham, who died in 1790. 

On a pyramidal obelisk of marble is an urn decorated with 
festoons of flowers and the arms of the Earl of Effingham. 
Above are represented the Chancellor's seal of the island, the 
mace and sword, and the scales of Justice. On one side of the 
monument, supporting the urn, is a figure emblematic of Jamaica, 
bearing the crest of the island on her zone ; on the other side a 
boy holding an olive branch in his hand resting on a cornucopia 
full of tropical fruits, while his right hand rests on a shield on 
which are blazoned the arms of Jamaica, which are heraldically 
described argent on a cross gules, five pine-apples ; dexter 
supporter an Indian female, in her exterior hand a basket of 
fruit ; sinister, an Indian warrior, in his exterior hand, a bow, 
both plumed. Crest, an alligator passant. Motto : Indus 
uterque serviet uni. 

Other notable memorials which the church contains are 
those to the wife of Sir Adam Williamson and Dr. Brodbelt 
(both by Bacon), Sir Basil Keith, Governor of Jamaica 
(d. 1777), by J. Wilton, R.A. ; Colonel William Selwyn, 
Governor of Jamaica (d. 1702) ; Sir Thomas Modyford, 
Governor of Jamaica (d. 1679) ; Sir Thomas Lynch, 
Governor of Jamaica (d. 1684) ; The Earl of Inchiquin, 
Governor of Jamaica (d. 1692) (erected by the present Lord 
Inchiquin) ; Samuel Long, Speaker of the Assembly, Chief 
Justice (d. 1683) ; Peter Beckford, Lieut. -Governor (d. 
1 7 10) ; Anne, wife of Sir Adam Williamson, Lieut. - 
Governor (d. 1794) ; Colonel John Colbeck, who " came 
with ye army that conquered the island " (d. 1682) ; 
Major-General James Bannister, late Governor of Surren- 
ham [Surinam] (d. 1674) ; and Humphrey Freeman, " who 
was at ye takeing of this island " (d. 1692) . The monuments 
include one of the Countess of Elgin, wife of Governor the 
Earl of Elgin (1842-46), and another, which particularly de- 
serves attention, was erected to a distinguished barrister and 
former Advocate-General of the island, who " enjoyed the 
uncommon felicity to be unenvied by any, the delight and 
admiration of all." Spanish Town once had a monastery. 



190 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

an abbey, and two churches, of which no traces now 
remain. 

In 1655, in the very year in which the English took the 
island, Vice-Admiral William Goodsonn, one of the Com- 
missioners charged with the conduct of the expedition sent 
out by Cromwell, requested that " some godly ministers 
with monies for their maintenance " should be sent out ; 
and it was one of the instructions to Colonel Doyley when 
he was made first Governor of the colony in 1661, that he 
should give the " best encouragement to ministers that 
Christianity and the Protestant religion, according to the 
profession of the Church of England, may have due reverence 
and exercise amongst them," and five ministers were soon 
sent out. In 1664 there was but one church in the whole 
island (at Spanish Town), " being a fair Spanish Church 
ruined by the old soldiers but lately in some measure 
repaired by Sir Charles Lyttelton." 

In Mulberry Garden, the present Poor House, there is 
a noble tamarind tree under which, it is said, Colonels 
Raymond and Tyson were shot for conspiracy in 1660. 

Eagle House, which stands behind the Public Hospital 
in King Street, is full of historic associations. Locally it is 
known as John Crow House, from the eagle which surmounts 
one of its gate-posts. It is said to have been the residence 
of William O'Brien, second Earl of Inchiquin, Governor of 
Jamaica 1660-61. 

To Bog Walk (boca de agua, or water's mouth), a very 
beautiful gorge of the Rio Cobre, is a charming drive from 
Spanish Town. A pleasant excursion can be made from 
Kingston by taking the early morning train to Spanish 
Town, and driving thence through the gorge to the village 
of Bog Walk. At the lower end is the Dam of the Rio 
Cobre irrigation canal, and at the upper end is Gibraltar 
Rock, through which the railway to Ewarton passes by 
means of a tunnel half a mile long. After resting the horses 
for half an hour, the tourist should drive back to within 
three miles of Spanish Town. Here he can leave the buggy 
and embark on a punt on the irrigation canal — which, 
shaded as it is by coco-nut palms and tropical foliage, is of 
surpassing beauty — rejoining the buggy again within a short 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 191 

distance of Spanish Town. After luncheon at the Rio 
Cobre Hotel, he can return to Kingston by train, the whole 
trip occupying the best part of a day. 



From Spanish Town one line of the Government Railway 
runs by a circuitous route to Port Antonio on the north 
side and towards the eastern end of the island. 

Port Antonio, on the north side of the island, 75 
miles by train from Kingston, is the headquarters of the 
United Fruit Company of Boston, Mass. It is situated on 
the shore of a magnificent harbour divided into two parts 
by a promontory on which the palatial Hotel Titchfield 
stands. The small island opposite it is called Navy Island. 
The town is divided into two parts, Upper and Lower 
Titchfield (named after the settlement, which was called 
Titchfield after one of the titles of the 1st Duke of Port- 
land, who gave his chief title to the parish), the former 
standing on a peninsula and the latter extending along the 
sea-shore. The old military barracks in the upper town are 
now used as a school. Formerly a village of modest 
dimensions, Port Antonio has been raised to a position of 
importance through the development of the banana in- 
dustry. During the Spanish- American war of 1898 it was 
the headquarters of the war correspondents and Press 
representatives. 

Many pleasant drives can be taken from Port Antonio, 
the more notable being those to Moore Town — the site of a 
Maroon settlement {see page 160) — the Blue Hole, a lagoon of 
exquisite beauty, and the Swift River. 

From Port Antonio, MontegO Bay, the second town of 
Jamaica, situated on the north coast near the west end of 
the island, can be reached by the coast road by motor-car 
in about 8 hours or carriage in 3 days (distance 128% miles). 
The first place of importance reached is Annotto Bay (28^- 
miles) on the right bank of the mouth of the Wag Water 
(a corruption of the Spanish agua alta) river. This is a 
shipping port on the railway line between Kingston and 
Port Antonio. The quaint belfry of the Chapel in the main 
street, which resembles an exaggerated meat-safe, should be 
noticed, 



1 92 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Port Maria (44^ miles) is a thriving port much fre- 
quented by fruit steamers, which are loaded here with 
bananas from St. Mary's parish. 

Oracabessa (51^- miles), a small town but an important 
fruit centre. The name is said to be derived from Cabeza 
de Oro, the " Golden head." 

Ocho Rios (64^ miles) is a small town with a well-protected 
harbour of growing importance. The name has been 
interpreted to mean " eight rivers," but it is more probably 
derived from chorrSra, a spout, after the waterfall near by. 
It was here that Sasi, the Spanish Governor who had given 
up the island to Penn and Venables in 1655, landed again 
and was defeated by Governor Doyley in 1657. Sasi, whose 
camp had been " in a swampy place " (now identified with 
Shaw Park estate), retreated to a. bay about eight miles to 
the west, which has ever since been called ' ' Runaway Bay, ' ' 
and here he embarked in a canoe and made good his escape. 
The Fern Gully and the Roaring River Falls can be 
visited from Ocho Rios or taken en route to Moneague, 
Ewarton, and Kingston (see next page). 

St. Ann's Bay (71^- miles) is the Santa Gloria of Columbus. 
Here, says Mr. Cundall, the discoverer anchored on May 3, 
1494, and not far from here (possibly in Don Christopher's 
Cove) he ran his caravels ashore on June 24, 1503, staying 
until June 28, 1504.* The fort erected in 1777 is now used 
as a slaughter-house. Windsor Fort was erected in 1803. 

Dry Harbour (85^ miles), a small town of no importance, 
has been identified by Mr. Frank Cundall as Puerto Bueno, 
where Columbus landed after discovering Jamaica on 
May 4, 1494. On Hopewell and Cave Hall estates, about 
1% miles distant, are some interesting caves. Six miles 
inland is Brown's Town (1200 ft.), the largest township in 
St. Ann. 

Rio Bueno (9of miles) has an old fort called Fort Dundas, 
which bears the date of 1778. In the Great House of 
Bryan Castle (about 2§- miles from Rio Bueno) Bryan 
Edwards wrote his famous "History of the West Indies," 
which was first published in 1799. 

* "Preservation of Historic Sites, &c, in the West Indian 
Colonies," Colonial Report, Miscellaneous, No, 84, 1913. 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 193 

Falmouth (106^- miles from Port Antonio) was once a, 
shipping port of consequence. In the spacious Court 
House are portraits of General Sir John Keane, Lieut. - 
Governor from 1827 to 1829, and Sir Charles Metcalfe, 
Governor from 1839 to 1842. The Parish Church contains 
monuments to John Hodges (1787), a member of a well- 
known West Indian family, and James Blake (1753). 

From Falmouth to Montego Bay (see page 195) the 
distance is 22 miles. 



From Spanish Town a branch line of the railway runs to 
Ewarton (173- miles, 1 hour). From here an enjoyable 
expedition can be made over Mount Diablo (10 miles) to 
Moneague, whence a drive may be taken through the 
famous Fern Gully to Ocho Rios and the Roaring River 
Falls. Fern Gully is a natural gorge of surpassing beauty, 
with steep sides covered with ferns, through which a winding 
road runs towards Ocho Rios. Sir Harry Johnston 
described the gully, which he was largely instrumental in 
saving from vandal banana growers, to the writer, in the 
following terms : " It is an amazing botanical exhibit, 
with about twenty-five different species of ferns, tree-ferns 
here and there at the top, ferns with immense fronds, filmy 
creeping ferns, ferns with fronds like curled wire or carved 
green bronze, an epitome, in fact, of the fern sub-class." 

Roaring River Falls, the property of the Hon. Sir John 
Pringle, is the largest waterfall in the island. The water 
descends in a series of foaming white cascades and is broken 
in its course by rocks, on some of which plants and palms 
have maintained a foothold. 

This trip will occupy two days ; but quite a week can 
be profitably spent in St. Ann's Parish. Hollymount 
House on Mount Diablo is itself well worth a visit ; the 
views from it are of exceptional beauty. There are pretty 
walks through the forest amid orchids and ferns, and many 
butterflies, also parrots, parakeets, and other strange birds 
are seen. 

After leaving Spanish Town, the main line of the railway 
proceeds through a fertile banana district to May Pen, the 
junction for the Clarendon branch. 



194 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

From here an expedition can be made to the ruins of 
Colbeck Castle, which dates from the seventeenth century. 

At Milk River, which is 13 miles from May Pen station 
and 12 miles from Clarendon Park (buggy hire for one person 
8s., for two 12s., or for three 15s.), there is a thermal mineral 
bath, an analysis of the waters of which gives the following 
results : 

Chloride of sodium 20.77 Chloride of potassium 0.16 
Sulphate of soda 3.40 Chloride of calcium 1.50 

Chloride of magnesium 4.12 

Besides traces of lithia, bromine, and silica. 

The efficacy of the waters has stood the test of over a 
century. Jamaica has no fewer than fifteen mineral springs, 
including saline, calcic, sulphurous, and chalybeate waters, 
but only those at Milk River and the bath of St. Thomas 
the Apostle at Bath in St. Thomas-in-the-East are put to 
systematic use. The river abounds in fish, including cali- 
pevers, mullet, &c. From Milk River Bath a visit can be 
made to the sugar-growing district of Vere. At the south- 
eastern extremity of Vere is Portland Cave, at the foot of 
Portland Ridge, a visit to which is, however, only recom- 
mended to the adventurous. From Vere a splendid road 
passing the Salt River and Cockpit River leads to Old 
Harbour. 

Williamsfield (53 miles, 2 hours 20 minutes from 
Kingston) is the station for Mandeville (2000 ft.), a popular 
resort which owes its name to the second title of the Duke 
of Manchester, Governor in 1808. The village (5 miles 
from the station) has its church, school-house, and Court 
House. Many enjoyable drives can be taken to places in 
the neighbourhood, one to Spur Tree Hill being de- 
servedly popular. Conveyances may be obtained for the 
drive to Malvern in the Santa Cruz Mountains (28 miles, 
fare 40s.), which can, however, be reached more expedi- 
tiously from Balaclava Station (70I miles from Kingston 
by rail). Near Balaclava Station are the celebrated Oxford 
Caves in the May Day Mountains on Oxford Pen, about 
1000 ft. above sea level. The various galleries and halls 
which extend for several hundred yards under the mountains 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 195 

contain many curious stalagmites and stalactites. The 
climate of the Santa Cruz Mountains is the finest in the 
island, and is particularly well suited to those suffering 
from pulmonary complaints. On the Santa Cruz Moun- 
tains are Potsdam and Hampton, the boys' and girls' 
schools of the Munro and Dickenson Trusts, which owe their 
existence to the liberality of two former residents of St. 
Elizabeth. From Malvern a visit may be paid to the 
Maggotty Falls on the road to Ipswich Station (85I miles 
from Kingston by rail). 

Near Cambridge Station (97I miles) is the Seven Rivers 
Cave {see page 197). 

Montpelier (io2§ miles) is in the midst of what is probably 
the most beautiful and fertile agricultural country in 
Jamaica. It forms part of the long, wide valley which 
extends from Montego Bay east for fifty miles or more, and 
provides most of the twenty thousand stems of bananas 
shipped each week from that port. 

From Montpelier, Savannah-la-Mar, the principal town 
of Westmoreland, is reached (21 J miles). It is the shipping 
port of a prosperous sugar-growing district which also 
produces coffee, ginger, and logwood. 

The Parish Church, built as recently as 1903-4, occupies 
the site of one erected in 1799. The tomb of the founder, 
George Murray (1804), can be seen. 

Ten miles from Montpelier by rail is Montego Bay, the 
town next in importance to Kingston, and a terminus of 
the railway, which possesses much historic interest. When 
visited by Columbus on his second voyage in 1494 it was 
a large Indian village, and traces of Arawak life have been 
found in caves round the bay, where the late Dr. Bastien, 
of Berlin, obtained many good specimens. During the 
Spanish occupancy much lard was exported from the town, 
and to this it owes its name, which is a corruption of 
manteca or hogs' butter. On Myranda Hill are the 
ruins of an old Spanish monastery. The Parish Church of 
St. James replaces an edifice believed to have been built 
very early in the eighteenth century, for in 1733 a Bill was 
passed " for appointing a proper place for building a church.'* 
The foundation-stone of the present church was laid on 



196 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

May 6, 1775, and the building was opened in 1782. Hakewill 
described it as the handsomest church in the island. Among 
the monuments which it contains, those of Mrs. Rosa 
Palmer and Dr. George Macfarquar (1786), both by John 
Bacon, R.A., are conspicuous. The former is inscribed as 
follows : 

NEAR THIS PLACE 

ARE DEPOSITED THE REMAINS OF 

MRS. ROSA PALMER, 

WHO DIED ON THE FIRST DAY OF MAY, 1/90. 

HER MANNERS WERE OPEN, CHEERFUL AND AGREEABLE, 

AND BEING BLESSED WITH A PLENTIFUL FORTUNE, 

HOSPITALITY DWELT WITH HER AS LONG AS HEALTH PERMITTED 

HER TO ENJOY SOCIETY. 
EDUCATED BY THE ANXIOUS CARE OF A REVEREND DIVINE, HER 

FATHER, 

HER CHARITIES WERE NOT OSTENTATIOUS BUT OF A NOBLER KIND. 

SHE WAS WARM IN HER ATTACHMENT TO HER FRIENDS, 

AND GAVE THE MOST' SIGNAL PROOFS OF IT 

IN THE LAST MOMENTS OF HER LIFE. 

THIS TRIBUTE OF AFFECTION AND RESPECT 

IS ERECTED BY HER HUSBAND, 

THE HONOURABLE JOHN PALMER, 

AS A MONUMENT OF HER WORTH 

AND OF HIS GRATITUDE. 

This lady, who must not be confused with the wicked Mrs. 
Palmer to whom reference is made below (see page 199), 
was buried in the churchyard of the same church and her 
tombstone is inscribed : 

UNDERNEATH THIS STONE 
ARE DEPOSITED THE REMAINS OF 

ROSA PALMER, 

WIFE OF THE HON. JOHN PALMER 

OF THIS PARISH, 

WHO DIED THE 1ST DAY OF MAY, I79O, 

AGED 72 YEARS. 

Other monuments are to the memory of Dr. William Fowle 
(an early work of Sir Richard Westmacott, 1796), and Mrs. 
S.N. Kerr (by Henry Westmacott, 1814). The handsome 
east window was the gift of Mr. W. F. Lawrence and others. 
At Doctor's Cave the bathing is unsurpassed (tickets for 
the bathing clubhouse at Gardner's book store), and just 
beyond it is a well-kept sanatorium. The Harbour offers 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 197 

every facility for safe boating. The Bogue Islands, where 
oysters grow on the trees, are well worth visiting, and 
there are miles of coral reefs in the neighbourhood, over 
which visitors can pass in perfect safety, inspecting the 
while the most remarkable marine gardens. There are 
several caves of interest in St. James' Parish, but the most 
noteworthy is near Cambridge (14 miles from Montego Bay 
by road) called Seven Rivers Cave, which has many 
chambers adorned with fantastic stalagmites. The roads 
in the parish are very good for driving, motoring or cycling, 
and there are several good livery stables (town limits 6d. ; 
per hour 3s. 6d. ; per day, £1). 

The Parade was laid out by Custos James Lawrence in 
1755, and the Square— in which there is a bust of the late 
John E. Kerr, a prominent citizen and custos of the Parish 
of St. James — was named Charles Square after Admiral 
Charles Knowles, Governor of Jamaica from 1752 to 1756. 

Near the gate of the old barracks is an octagonal and 
battlemented tower known as The Dome, where the watch- 
man used to guard a spring called the Creek, which fills a 
stream of fresh water. 

Among the many delightful drives which can be taken 
from Montego Bay the following are recommended : 
Catherine Hall (1 mile, \ hour), where visitors can inspect 
a typical modern sugar factory, Reading Stream, with 
its historic cotton-trees (3 miles, 1 hour), Great River, 
with its many pretty falls and favourite picnic spots {6\ 
miles, 2 hours), Rose Hall (10 miles, 3 hours), Mont- 
pelier (10 miles, 3 hours) — {see page 195), John's Hall Dam, 
a picturesque old sugar estate dam (8 miles, 2\ hours), 
Marley Castle, once the home of Isaac Lascelles Winn, 
the great Quaker (11 miles, 3 hours). The site of Maroon 
Town, once called Trelawny Town, where the Maroons 
made their last stand against the Government in 1795, 
which has practically disappeared, and Accompong, still a 
Maroon settlement, are situated in the wild and romantic 
Cockpit Country, a district some 10 by 15 miles in extent in 
the west central part of Jamaica. The Maroons, who 
derived their name from the Spanish cimaron — wild or 
fierce — or perhaps from cima — mountain-top— are the 



198 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

descendants of escaped negro slaves of the Spaniards and 
the runaway slaves of the English, who for years proved a 
menace. They kept up a guerilla warfare with the colonists, 
and although treaties were made with them from time to 
time they were not finally suppressed until after the Maroon 
War of 1795, the cost of which was ^350,000. After the 
struggle most of the Maroons were expatriated to Nova 
Scotia at a cost of ^49,400. Mr. Frank Cundall gives the 
following account of a visit to the Cockpit Country. 

At one time it gave the impression of a number of stunted 
cones rising from a plain ; at another the feeling was one of a 
number of basins like the Devil's Punch-bowls of England ; at 
all times, except where there was a clearing for corn, bananas, 
or bread-kind, it appeared thickly wooded — mahogany, cedar, 
mahoe, Santa Maria, and broadleaf being prominent, and mos- 
quito wood and red shingle wood, and other lesser known woods 
being pointed out by our guide. ... As one rides along these 
defiles the mournful note of the solitaire suggests the nervousness 
which might have fallen on the soldiers marching through a 
thickly wooded, rocky, unknown country, every crag of which 
might conceal a foe, to whose foot such mountain paths were 
familiar. At Maroon Town itself, we found a clearing on which 
cattle were grazing, and a police station (just abandoned) built 
on the site of the officers' quarters of half a century ago. Near 
by was the well which supplied the settlement with water, and a 
barracks, some 130 ft. long by 30 ft. broad, which had once 
possessed an upper story of wood, little now remaining of the 
stoutly built lower walls of limestone quarried in the neighbour- 
hood. There also were the powder-house and the cells, the 
hospital and the kitchens and the mess-house, which, placed on 
an immense rock open to the sea breeze from the east, com- 
manded a view over Trelawny to the sea by Falmouth miles 
away. It was once a substantial building of three storeys, the 
solid steps leading up to the second floor being still usable. 
Opposite the mess-house rise two large conicaf hills calling to 
mind the twin Pitons of St. Lucia — the one called Gun Hill 
(because a gun had been placed in position there, possibly the 
howitzer with which Walpole did great execution), the other 
Garrison Hill. Then we saw the tank some thirty feet long, fed 
by a clear stream in which the soldiers were wont to bathe ; then, 
saddest of all, a few tombs — one recalling the death in 1840 of a 
coloured sergeant of the 68th (or Durham) Regiment, another to 
the wife of a quartermaster of the 38th Regiment who died in 
1846, and a third to the paymaster of the 101st Regiment 
who died in 18 10 ; while a nameless tomb, the oldest 
inhabitant told us, belonged to a Colonel Skeate, who, being ill 
when his regiment left, was buried by the incoming regiment. 



JAMAICA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 199 

The wood behind the police station was, we were told, almost 
impassable. For miles the thick woods lie untrodden by man, 
except when a few Maroons or other negroes go hunting the wild 
hogs which abound, or " fowling," i.e. shooting pigeons. 

After leaving Maroon Town we visited the chief settlement of 
the Maroons in the west end of the island, Accompong, and 
experienced rough travelling. In places there was nothing but 
the bare limestone rock for yards, without a scrap of earth. 
Nothing but a pony bred in the district could have negotiated it 
successfully. But once on the main path riding was easy. One 
was struck by the amount of cultivation on either hand ; here 
and there a patch of bananas, here and there yams, and so on. 
On reaching the town of Accompong, we saw a number of houses 
scattered about and a small church nearing completion. Across 
a " pit " stood the " Colonel's " house on the opposite side. 

Rose Hall in particular calls for mention, for apart from 
its being typical of the palatial great houses in which West 
Indian planters lived in the days when sugar was king, 
it is said to be haunted by the ghost of Mrs. Palmer. This 
is not the lady whose virtues are recorded on the monument 
by Bacon in the church, but a second Mrs. Palmer — an 
Irish immigrant — whose residence in Jamaica was character- 
ised by the extreme brutality with which she treated her 
slaves and the facility with which she disposed of her 
husbands. The Hon. John Palmer, of Rose Hall, was her 
fourth, and she wore a ring inscribed, " If I survive I shall 
have five." Fortunately, however, this inhuman wretch 
did not survive, but was herself murdered, being strangled 
by her slaves on the neighbouring estate of Palmyra. For 
many years rumour connected this modern Brinvilliers with 
the monument in the church, and certain marks in the neck 
of the figure of Jamaica — wrongly believed to be Mrs. 
Palmer — were pointed out by the superstitious. The 
monument was, however, erected to the memory of the 
Hon. John Palmer's first wife. 

The house, which was erected in 1760 at a cost of £30,000, 
was at that time one of the most handsome great houses 
in the island. Hakewill writing of it said : [' It is placed 
at a delightful elevation, and commands a very extensive 
sea view. Its general appearance has much of the character 
of a handsome Italian villa. A double flight of stone steps 
leads to an open portico, giving access to the entrance hall ; 



200 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

on the left of which is the eating-room, and on the right 
the drawing-room, behind which are other apartments for 
domestic uses. The right wing fitted up with great elegance 
and enriched with painting and gilding, was the private 
apartment of the late Mrs. Palmer, and the left wing is 
occupied as servants' apartments and offices. The principal 
staircase in the body of the house is a specimen of joinery 
in mahogany and other costly woods seldom excelled and 
leads to a suite of chambers in the upper story." 

Drives can also be taken to Lucea (25 miles along'Tthe 
coast road to the west, 6J hours), and Falmouth (22 miles, 
6| hours ; see page 193). The parish church contains a 
monument to Sir Simon Clarke, Bart., by Flaxman (1777). 



The main coast road to the east of Kingston leads to Rock 
Fort. Three miles from Kingston is the terminus of the 
tram-cars near Rock Fort Gardens, a place of entertainment. 
A mile farther on is a quarry worked by convicts, a bricked- 
in public bath with curative waters, and the historic Rock 
Fort. The road proceeds past Harbour Head (i|- miles) 
and the Hope River (J mile), which, though generally dry, 
is impassable after heavy rains ; § mile farther are the 
huts of the cable companies, | mile beyond which the 
Cane River — also usually dry — has to be crossed. Bull 
Bay (o| miles from Kingston) is a straggling town of no 
importance. Beyond this town the road crosses the 
Yallahs River (7 \ miles), passes the Yallahs Ponds (3 
miles), and after crossing the Johnson River (5f miles) 
reaches Morant Bay {30^ miles from Kingston), the scene 
of the rebellion of 1 865 which was suppressed by Governor 
Eyre. 

Bath, in the parish of St. Thomas (40 miles from 
Kingston), boasts the hottest mineral spring in the island. 
It can be reached by a bridle road just beyond Morant 
Bay or from Port Morant (7 J- miles farther on), from 
which it is 6J miles distant. The road from the town of 
Bath to the spa follows the windings of a deep and narrow 
gorge. Along the bottom of this flows a perennial spring, to 
which, rolling down the rocky sides covered in fern, nume- 
rous rills contribute. The mineral waters break from the 



TURKS AND CAlCOS ISLANDS 201 

rocks at different levels, and can be distinguished from the 
ordinary waters of the gorge by their warmth. The largest 
spring issues from the face of a perpendicular rock. A 
covered reservoir of masonry has been built round the 
outlet, and a pipe fixed in it carries the water to the bath- 
house. In wet weather the temperature of the water, as it 
runs from the rock, has been taken as 128 Fahr., and it rises 
in dry weather to 130 Fahr. Tradition asserts that these 
waters were discovered by a negro who in his own person 
found their efficacy. The analysis of the Bath water gives 
the following mineral constituents in one gallon of water : 

Chloride of sodium .... 13.84 grains. 

potassium .... 0.32 ,, 

Sulphate of calcium . . . . 5.01 ,, 

,, sodium .... 6.37 ,, 

Carbonate of sodium . . . . 1.69 

Silica ...... 2.72 ,, 

Oxide of sodium combined with silica . 1.00 ,, 

Organic matter . . . . 0.99 

Beyond Port Morant the coast road proceeds past 
Phillipsfield (2 J miles), Golden Grove (4 miles), Amity 
Hall (if miles), from which place a road leads to Holland 
Bay and Morant Point Lighthouse, Manchioneal (io| 
miles), and Priestman's River (g% miles), to Port Antonio 
(see page 191) (jy miles to Kingston by this route). 

An excursion to the mountains fromBath by thedina-Cuna 
road is most interesting. The road (a bridle-path) passes 
over a wild and mountainous district, and, crossing the main 
ridge enters the valley of the Rio Grande, which flows out 
on the north side of the island. The bridle-path is con- 
tinued to Moore Town, and arrangements can be made for 
buggies to meet travellers and convey them to Port Antonio, 
7 miles distant. 



TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS 

GENERAL ASPECT. The Turks and Caicos Islands 
consist of two distinct groups between latitudes 21 ° and 
22 N. and longitudes 71 ° and 72 37' W., the former lying 
to the east and the latter to the west of the Grand Turk 
Passage, which is about 21 miles wide, and forms one of 



202 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the principal passages for vessels sailing from Europe, the 
United States, and Canada to Cuba and Jamaica. The 
Turks Islands consist of a number of uninhabited islets 
and of Grand Turk and Salt Cay, with a population of 1681 
and 398, and an area of 10 and 6 square miles respec- 
tively ; while the Caicos group comprises numerous small 
cays and six larger islands, South Caicos, East Caicos, 
Grand or Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Blue Hills or 
Providenciales, and West Caicos, with a population of 3536. 
The Caicos Islands, which lie in the form of a large semi- 
circle, compose the northern and part of the eastern and 
western borders of what is known as the Caicos Bank, 
which, fringed on the south by a reef, is to all intents and 
purposes a large and shallow lake of salt and whitish water, 
extending in its widest parts 50 to 60 miles north and 
south and 75 miles east and west. 

INDUSTRIES. The principal industries are the collec- 
tion of salt, sponges and conchs, and the cultivation of 
fibre. The process of making salt in these islands is that 
of solar evaporation, the hot sun and strong winds, together 
with a low rainfall, furnishing ideal conditions for the 
industry. The salinas or salt-ponds are partitioned off 
into series of basins with sufficient fall from one set to 
another to cause the water to flow through them, the 
vegetable and mineral impurities being successively pre- 
cipitated before the brine reaches the last set, called 
" making pans," where the salt becomes crystallised ready 
for raking. Above a million bushels (28 to 40 bushels to 
the ton), of the value of ^25,000, is annually exported in 
bulk, most of it finding a market for packing purposes in 
the chief towns of the eastern seaboard of the United States. 
There are two companies in the Caicos Islands for the 
cultivation and extraction of sisal fibre. The export of 
sisal fluctuates considerably, ^7351 gross value being shipped 
in 1910, ^1225 in 1911, and ^4718 in 1912, this variation 
being caused by uncertain prices and climatic conditions. 
The sponge fisheries are confined exclusively to the Caicos 
Bank, where there are five purchasing stations among the 
islands, which buy the sponges gathered, the chief varieties 
being sheepswool, velvet, reef, yellow, and grass. Owing 



TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS 



203 



to the destructive methods of fishing and to the absence 
of regulations for the conservation of the beds, the output 
has decreased of late years, and experiments on a small scale 
have been recently made with the propagation of sponges 
by cuttings, which have demonstrated the possibility of 
cultivation by that method . In 1 90 1 sponges to the value of 
^9277 were shipped, but in 1912 the value fell to £1451. 

Conchs are gathered chiefly for their meat, which is a 
favourite article of food locally and in Haiti. Occasionally 
a pink pearl is found in the conchs, the shells of which are 
burned to make lime. 

The principal exports for the year 191 2 were : 
Salt . . £18,603 Sisal . . £4718 

Sponges . 1 45 1 Conchs . . 553 

The direction of trade in the same year was : 

Foreign Countries ..... £38,084 
United Kingdom . . . . 6191 

British Colonies ..... 9334 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
dependency is shown by the following comparative table 
of revenue and expenditure and imports and exports for 
the past ten years : 



Year 


Revenue. 


Expen- 
diture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




£ 


i 


£ 


£ 


1903 


8,678 


9,810 


30,956 


32,054 


1904 


6,466 


8,ooi 


24,121 


24,487 


1905 


6,243 


7.279 


28,230 


24,022 


1906 


6,809 


7,080 


27,572 


24,940 


1907 


7,391 


7,H9 


27,660 


23,817 


1908 


7,4°4 


11,430* 


24,426 


24,768 


1909 


7,748 


7,454* 


25,262 


18,936 


1910 


8,648 


6,827 


27,916 


24,461 


1911 


8,318 


7,695 


24,722 


23,703 


1912 


8,215 


8,092 


27,662 


25,947 



* £4800 expended on hurricane relief in these years. 

CLIMATE. On the whole the climate is healthy, the 
extreme range of temperature being from 58 to 93 , and 



204 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the mean 78 ° ; but the absence of fresh vegatables, 
practically the whole of the food consumed being imported, 
renders residence for Europeans very trying. 

HISTORY. Although included in the same dependency, 
the Turks Islands have a separate history from that of the 
Caicos Islands ; for, in spite of their proximity and frequent 
intercourse, the two groups from 1799 to 1848 were regarded 
as two parishes, St. Thomas and St. George, of the Bahamas 
Government. The Turks Islands were discovered about 
1 512, but no attempt at occupation was made until 1678, 
when their value for the production of salt was recognised 
by the colonists of Bermuda. As late as 1781 the first 
Royal Regulations for the government of the salt-ponds 
show clearly that no permanent settlement or idea of fixed 
property in the ponds was entertained. Recognition was 
then given to the Head Right system, whereby one-third 
of the ponds was reserved to meet the expenses of common 
government and the other two-thirds were annually shared 
among all British inhabitants present in the island on 
February 10. Every adult was entitled to a full share ; 
while children, measured according to what may have been 
the forerunner of the decimal system, were allotted so 
many tenths in proportion to their height. The owners of 
slaves received the benefits of the shares allotted to their 
slaves. It would appear that some of the public officials 
and the ministers of religion received their salaries in 
bushels of salt ; which calls to mind the ancient salarium 
or salt allowance of the Roman soldier. Towards the end 
of the eighteenth century the Bahamas Government, per- 
ceiving the strategic and growing commercial importance 
of the islands, laid claim to them as forming geographically 
an integral part of the Bahamas group, and, despite the 
vigorous protests of the Bermuda salt-rakers, it was deter- 
mined by Order in Council in 1804 that the legislation of 
the Bahamas Government should be extended over them. 
After a bitter struggle lasting over half a century, it was 
ultimately recognised that difficulties of communication 
and conflicting commercial and industrial interests between 
the Turks Islands and the other islands of the colony 
rendered common legislation impracticable and impossible. 



TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS 205 

In 1848 an Order in Council placed the Turks Islands and 
the Caicos Islands as an independent administration under 
the supervision of the Governor of Jamaica. In the mean- 
time, emancipation with its social upheaval had necessitated 
a change in the tenure of the ponds, the Head Right being 
replaced by a leasehold system. 

The Caicos Islands, which in 1848 were appended to the 
Turks Islands for the purposes of government, were 
originally occupied by loyalist refugees from Georgia after 
the declaration of independence by the United States ; 
but the white owners, owing to losses by severe hurricanes 
and the destruction of their cotton, sugar, and other crops 
by insect pests, seem to have lost heart and departed, 
abandoning the lands to their slaves, who rapidly lapsed 
into semi-barbarism. The traditions of " Old Massa " are 
still to be traced among the descendants of these slaves. 
After their incorporation with the Turks Islands serious 
attention was directed to the capabilities of the group for 
salt production, and about 1850 Cockburn Harbour was 
laid out in salt ponds on more modern lines than those of 
Grand Trunk and Salt Cay, and it was not long before it was 
able to export more salt than either of the two settlements. 

For several years after the establishment of independent 
government, remunerative prices enabled the lessees of the 
salt ponds to carry on the industry with a fair margin of 
profit, but a succession of bad seasons rendered a further 
change of tenure from leasehold to freehold imperative. 
The conversion to fee-simple was granted in 1862, one- 
tenth of the value of the salt exported being secured as 
royalty in perpetuity to the Crown. The hurricane of 1866, 
however, left both the Government and the pond owners 
in a state of financial embarrassment, and, after a hopeless 
struggle for several years, the export tax on salt was 
removed (the royalty still continuing), drastic retrenchment 
effected, and the elective system of legislation abolished, 
the islands becoming in 1873 a Crown Colony and a depen- 
dency of Jamaica. 

: CONSTITUTION. The Legislature of the Turks and Caicos 
Islands, which, as we have seen, now form a dependency 
of Jamaica, consists of a Legislative Board comprising 



2o6 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the Commissioner and Judge, and no fewer than two or more 
than four other persons appointed by the Governor of 
Jamaica. 

Commissioners since 1893 

Edward J. Cameron, C.M.G. 1893 
W. Douglas Young, C.M.G. 1901 
F. H. Watkins, I.S.O. 1906 

HOTELS. There are no hotels or boarding-houses in 
the islands. Visitors should therefore furnish themselves 
with suitable introductions and make arrangements for 
board and bed in advance. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Since the termination 
of the Imperial Direct West India Mail Service there has 
been no direct communication, Messrs. Elders and Fyffes 
Ltd. kindly dropping passengers at Grand Turk whenever re- 
quested. The Clyde Line from New York to Santo Domingo 
call at Grand Turk about every ten days ; and a Canadian 
steamer from Halifax to Jamaica calls each way once a 
month. The boat fare between the steamer and the shore 
is is. each way. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. A visitor to the Turks and 
Caicos Islands can best spend his time in studying the life 
and character of their inhabitants and the manner in which 
the industries referred to above are carried on. There are 
no " sights " properly speaking ; but the charm and novelty 
of life on coral islands which are off the beaten track, together 
with the hospitality of the inhabitants, go far to make up 
for their absence. The Commissioner's residence, " Water- 
loo," is situated about 3 miles from the landing stage at 
the south-west of the island. The principal church is 
about a quarter of a mile from the settlement. 



THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 

GENERAL ASPECT. The Cayman Islands, which con- 
stitute a dependency of Jamaica, lie between latitudes 



THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 207 

19 16' and 19 45' N. and longitudes 79 83' and 81 ° 30' W., 
no to 156 miles to the north-west of the west end of 
Jamaica. They comprise Grand Cayman (population 4128), 
Little Cayman (population 136) and Cayman Brae (popula- 
tion 1300), and have a total area of 87 square miles. Grand 
Cayman is 17 miles long by 7 wide, Little Cayman 9 miles 
by 1 mile, and Cayman Brae 10 miles by 1 mile. The coasts 
of Grand Cayman are for the most part rock-bound, and 
the island is surrounded by reefs. On the north side it has a 
large harbour over 6 miles wide. It has two towns — George- 
town and Boddentown — and several villages. In Grand 
Cayman there are about 40 miles of roads, and in Cayman 
Brae 15 miles, which are very well kept. The inhabitants 
are well-to-do and there is no poverty, each family having 
its own homestead, which is invariably most tidily kept. 
It is noteworthy that the percentage of illegitimacy is far 
less in the Caymans than it is in Jamaica and other West 
Indian islands. 

INDUSTRIES. The Cayman Islands are the centre of 
an important turtle-fishing industry, the turtle being 
caught off the Cays on the coast of Nicaragua and brought 
to the islands to fatten. They are then sent to Jamaica 
for shipment abroad. The fishing fleet consists of about 
thirty-three schooners and sloops. The green turtle 
caught are shipped to England and America, but the 
hawks-bill turtle are killed and their shells — which form 
the tortoiseshell of commerce — removed. When the green 
turtle are first caught the initials of the owners are cut 
on their shells and they are placed in " crawls " until the 
boats are ready to return to the Cayman Islands. The 
green turtle have a keen sense of locality, and cases have 
been known where they have escaped and been found in 
the fishing- grounds over three hundred miles away. Other 
industries include the manufacture of rope from the thatch 
palm, which grows wild, the raising of cattle and horses, 
and the cultivation of coco-nuts, which has been extended 
rapidly in recent years. 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The revenue and expedi- 
ture and imports and exports for the last five years are 
given in the table on next page. 



2o8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expenditure 


Imports. 


Exports. 




1 


1 


i 


i 


1907-8 


4,569 


2,773 


22,774 


11, 629 


1908-9 


3,610 


3,735 


22,091 


11,995 


1909-10 


2,824 


3,282 


23,858 


11,371 


1910-11 


2,779 


2,716 


26,232 


18,992 


1911-12 


3,795 


2,700 


28,444 


12,323 



CLIMATE. In summer the weather is somewhat hot, 
the temperature averaging about 84 Fahr. ; but in autumn 
and winter it is refreshingly cool, the morning temperature 
often being below 70 ° Fahr. On the whole the islands are 
extremely healthy. The rainfall averages about 70 ins. per 
annum. 

HISTORY. The Cayman Islands were discovered by 
Columbus on May 10, 1503, on his return voyage from 
Porto BeHo to Hispaniola, and were called by him " Las 
Tortugas " from the abundance of turtle which he found 
there. Their present name has been attributed by the 
late Dr. G. S. S. Hirst, Commissioner from 1907 to 1912, to 
the fact that early settlers found alligators, or " cayman " 
as they are still called in Jamaica, in the lesser islands. 
Another ingenious though less plausible suggestion is that 
it is derivable from Cay Mano — the cay like a hand. With 
regard to Cayman Brae, we are told that Brae is synonymous 
with " Bluff." The islands were never occupied by the 
Spaniards, but were mainly settled by English from Jamaica. 
Their formal colonisation dates from 1734, between which 
year and 1741 a number of patents of land were issued. 
The present inhabitants are mainly the descendants of the 
original settlers and their servants, as each patentee was 
compelled to carry with him to the island a certain number 
of white men besides slaves. In 1774 there were, according 
to Long, one hundred and six white persons on the island of 
Grand Cayman, who had a " Chief or Governor of their own 
choosing." For many years the islands were frequented by 
buccaneers, and " hidden treasure " has been found in them 
from time to time. 



MORANT CAYS AND PEDRO CAYS 209 

CONSTITUTION. The government of Cayman Islands, 
which, as above stated, form a dependency of Jamaica, is 
administered by a Resident Commissioner. Local affairs 
are controlled by a body styled the " Justices and Vestry," 
whose enactments become law when assented to by the 
Governor of Jamaica. The Commissioner is a veritable 
"Pooh-Bah," carrying out as he does, besides the duties of 
Chief Executive Officer, those of Collector-General of 
Customs, Treasurer and Judge. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. There is, unfortu- 
nately, no steamer communication, and the mails are sent 
to and from Jamaica at irregular intervals by fishing 
schooners. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Visitors to the Cayman Islands 
must be content with the novelty of their surroundings 
and a study of the people and their industries as far as 
occupation is concerned. Among the natural curiosities 
at Boddentown are a cave which extends for some hundreds 
of yards under the sea and a remarkable natural cistern, said 
to be from 40 to 42 ft. deep, which contains clear spring 
water, at East End. The cistern measures 70 by 50 ft., 
and is situated in the middle of a cliff of solid flint rock. 
It is said to assume a turbid appearance and to emit 
offensive smells on the approach of a storm. There is also 
a curious cave containing wide subterranean passages on 
the north side of the island about \\ miles inland from Old 
Man's Bay. 

MORANT CAYS AND PEDRO CAYS 

The Morant Cays and Pedro Cays were taken possession 
of on behalf of the British Crown in 1862 and 1863 respec- 
tively. They were not at first annexed to any colony, but 
the Governor of Jamaica was given powers to deal with 
any guano islands or cays within the West Indian naval 
waters which were not already dependencies. Letters 
Patent were issued in June 1864, authorising the Governor 
of Jamaica to grant leases of, and licences to take guano 
from, the islands. In 1906 the Morant Cays were leased 
for seven years to Captain S. E. Bodden, and the Pedro 



210 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Cays for seven years to Captain John Greenwood. By 
Letters Patent the Cays were formally annexed to Jamaica 
by a proclamation on June i, 1882. For judicial purpose 
the Cays now form part of the parish of Kingston. The 
Morant Cays are 33 miles to the south-east of Morant Port, 
and comprise three small islets. Here the sea birds arrive 
in great numbers in March and April and lay their eggs, 
which are conveyed by schooner to Jamaica. The Pedro 
Cays are 40 or 50 miles to the south-west of Portland 
Point, and consist of four islets, known respectively as 
North-east, Middle, South-west, and South Cay. 



CHAPTER IX 

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 

TKINIDAD 

" Miscerique probat populos et feeder a fungi " 

Adapted from Virgil 

GENERAL ASPECT. Trinidad, which lies off the delta of 
the Orinoco, between latitude io° 3' and io° 5c/ N. and 
longitude 6o° 55' and 61 ° 56', is rather smaller than 
Lancashire, its total area being 1754 square miles. Its 
population, which at the census of 191 1 was 312,803, 
is composed of black and coloured people of African 
descent, and families of English, French, Spanish, and 
German extraction, while no fewer than one-third of the 
inhabitants are East Indian immigrants, who were first 
introduced into the West Indies in 1845, an d now arrive in 
Trinidad from Calcutta at the rate of 2400 every year. In 
shape, Trinidad is rectangular, with promontories at the 
four corners, those at the north-west and south-west being 
extended towards the mainland and enclosing the Gulf of 
Paria, which is practically a land-locked sea between 
Trinidad and Venezuela, with narrow straits north and 
south. The straits at the north are called the Bocas del 
Dragone, or Dragon's Mouths, and those at the south the 
Boca del Sierpe, or the Serpent's Mouth. There seems to 
be little reason to doubt that Trinidad at a distant date was 
connected with the mainland, and it is plainly noticeable 
that the three islands in the northern straits, namely, 
Chacachacare, Huevos, and Monos, are of the same forma- 
tion as the mountains on the Spanish Main. The north 
coast of Trinidad is rock-bound, and the east coast is so 
exposed to the surf as to be almost unapproachable at 



212 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

some periods of the year, while the south coast is steep in 
parts. There are, however, several suitable shipping ports 
on the west coast. The island is somewhat mountainous, 
and it has three distinct ranges of hills running east and 
west, the highest points being El Tucuche and the Cerro de 
Aripo, both 3075 feet high. The rivers, though numerous, 
are unimportant, the Caroni and Couva on the western 
side and the Oropouche and Ortoire on the eastern side 
being the principal. The island has eight counties, four 
north of the central range which ends at San Fernando on 
the west, and four south of it, but for administrative 
purposes it is divided into wards. Port of Spain (population 
59,796), in the county of St. George, at the angle formed by 
the north-western promontory above referred to, is the 
capital and trade centre of the island. It has as yet nothing 
approaching a proper harbour, and as large steamers cannot 
get very near owing to the shallowness of the water, 
passengers have to reach the shore in a launch. Port of 
Spain has many handsome buildings, and enjoys the 
advantages of electric light, telephones, and an extensive 
electric tramway system. The town has an adequate 
water-supply and drainage system, and a notable authority 
— the late Sir Rubert Boyce — pronounced it one of the most 
sanitary cities in the West Indies. The second town in 
order of importance is San Fernando (population 8667), 
thirty-five miles from the capital. Next to it comes 
Arima (population 4020), which has been granted a charter 
of incorporation, and stands about sixteen miles inland from 
Port of Spain. 

INDUSTRIES. The soils of Trinidad, though varied, are 
extremely fertile, and are therefore capable of producing 
large crops of sugar, cocoa, rubber, and all kinds of tropical 
produce. About 445,703 acres are now cultivated and 
597,637 remain still ungranted. Cocoa is by far the largest 
industry of the island, the value of the exports of this 
commodity being now about double that of sugar, which 
only occupies second place. Molasses, rum, rubber, bitters 
(Trinidad is the present home of the famous Angostura 
bitters, the manufacture of which was transferred to it 



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TRINIDAD 



213 



the troubled state of that republic), coco-nuts, coffee, copra, 
fruit, asphalt (from the famous Pitch Lake described 
below), and petroleum from the local oil wells, figure largely 
among the exports. 

The values of the principal articles of export in the year 
191 2 were as follows : 



Cocoa 


41,525,627 lb. 


^1,007,990 


Sugar 


33,165 tons 


529,123 


Rubber 


6,916 lbs. 


1 ,040 


Coco-nuts . 


16,305,038 


61,278 


Fruit 


— 


IT ,033 


Asphalt 


176,077 tons 


202,106 


Petroleum . 


4,295,707 gals. 


18,432 



The direction of import trade in the same year was ; 
United Kingdom, 36.4 ; United States, 31.6 per cent. ; 
Canada, 7.^ ; France, 2.6 ; Venezuela, 2.6 ; Germany, 1.3 ; 
other British possessions, 7.9 ; and other countries, 4.7. 

The direction of export trade was : United States, 39.5 
per cent. ; United Kingdom, 22.6 ; France, 11 ; Canada, 
9.2 ; Venezuela, 3.1 ; Germany, 4.1 ; other British 
possessions, 1.7, and other countries, 8.8. 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The following is a comparative 
table of the revenue and expenditure, and the imports and 
exports of the colony for the last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




£ 


£ 


£ 


£ 


1903-4 . 


804,440 


818,860 


2,526,450 


2,27$A4* 


1904-5 . 


811,614 


810,258 


2,629,051 


2,479,274 


1905-6 . 


847,953 


869,981 


3,303,611 


3,168,706 


1906-7 . 


765,272 


810,474 


3,120,717 


2,872,325 


1907-8 . 


871,201 


781,038 


3,374,824 


3,907,503 


1908-9 . 


834,745 


855,050 


2,682,702 


2,500,195 


1909 


853,565 


863,253 


3,288,826 


3,218,092 


1910 


948,383 


843,050 


3,343,011 


3,467,588 


1911 


950,744 


901,018 


5,018,848 


4,769,486 


1912 


932,513 


893,498 


4,682,325 


4,472,577 



In considering the figures of the imports and exports, 
it should be borne in mind that they include all mer- 



2i 4 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

chandise imported for transhipment and re-exported, which 
amounted in 1912 to ^2,088,182, and bullion and specie, of 
which ^65,260 was imported and ^26,315 exported. In 
contravention of an existing treaty Venezuela imposes a 
surtax of 30 per cent, on imports from the West Indies ; but 
for this the transhipment trade would be far larger. 

CLIMATE. The climate of Trinidad is hot and damp. 
The mean annual temperature is 8o° Fahr., but at night 
the thermometer often falls below 70 Fahr. in Port of 
Spain, and lower still in the hills. The wet or rainy season 
is subject to variation, but it generally extends from May 
to December, with a short break in September, and the 
annual rainfall is about 62 inches. Trinidad is fortunate 
in being out of the hurricane zone, and it is singularly 
free from the seismic disturbances which afflict at times 
some of the other islands. The birth-rate is 34 and the 
death-rate 30 per 1000, but the latter would be considerably 
less were it not for the excessive infant mortality among the 
black population. 

HISTORY. Trinidad was discovered by Columbus during 
his third voyage on July 31, 1498, and named by him after 
the Trinity, the idea being, it is said, put into his head by 
his sighting three very conspicuous peaks in the southern 
range of hills in Moruga, now known as the Three Sisters. 
Be that as it may, it is certain that the first land which he 
saw was the south-eastern corner — now Cape Galeota — ■ 
which he called La Galera. He sailed along westward, 
and entered the Gulf of Paria by the Boca del Sierpe, or 
Serpent's Mouth, and after bartering with the Indians whom 
he found there, he sailed from the north of the Gulf through 
one of the Bocas del Dragone, or Dragon's Mouths. No 
definite attempt was made to settle the island until 1532, 
when a Spanish Governor, Don Antonio Sedeno, was 
appointed to preside over its destinies. In 1577 or 1584 
the settlement of St. Josef de Oruha was founded on the 
spot where the present town of St. Joseph stands, seven miles 
inland from Port of Spain. The town was destroyed by 
Sir Walter Ralegh, who visited the island in 1595, and 
caulked his ships with pitch from the spot " called by the 
naturals Piche and by the Spaniards Tierra de Brea " (the 



TRINIDAD 215 

Pitch Lake). The fortunes of the island fell to such a low 
ebb in 1740 that the colonists complained that they could 
only go to Mass once a year and then only in clothes 
borrowed from each other, and Mr. Joseph in his " History 
of Trinidad " says that he learnt from an old paper that 
the Cabildo or Municipality had but one pair of small 
clothes among them. In 1780, at the instance of M. St. 
Laurent, a Frenchman from Grenada, who had visited the 
island and recognised its possibilities, the Spanish issued a 
decree encouraging foreigners to settle in Trinidad, and in 
the year 1783, a further proclamation having been issued 
calling attention to the advantages offered by its fertile 
soil, a large influx of settlers resulted. Don Josef Maria 
Chacon was sent out as Governor, and the population rose 
rapidly from 300 in 1783 to 18,000 in 1797. In 1796 a 
quarrel took place between the men of a British squadron, 
who had been attacking some French privateers in the 
Gulf of Paria, and the colonists. A party of officers were 
visiting a Welsh lady in what is now Frederick Street, when 
some of the French privateersmen insulted a British sailor 
from the Alarm. A fight resulted, the officers rushed to 
the rescue, and a general melee ensued ; the Commodore, 
Captain Vaughan, landed a force on the following day, 
and, though he withdrew before a conflict took place, this 
incident formed one of the grounds on which Spain declared 
war with Great Britain a few months afterwards, and on 
February 12, 1797, a large British expedition set out from 
Martinique under Sir Ralph Abercromby and Admiral 
Harvey to reduce the island. The Spaniards relieved 
Admiral Harvey of the responsibility of an attack by 
setting fire to their ships, which were lying under Gaspar 
Grande in Chaguaramas Bay, their Admiral, Apodaca, setting 
the example by strewing rosin, sulphur, and other com- 
bustibles on the decks of his own three-decker. On Febru- 
ary 18, without a fight, Chacon surrendered Trinidad to Sir 
Ralph Abercromby, an event which has been so charmingly 
described by Charles Kingsley, and the general's aide-de- 
camp, Picton, was appointed Governor. The cession of the 
island was confirmed by the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. 
CONSTITUTION. Trinidad, with which the neighbouring 



216 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

island, Tobago, has since January i, 1899, been incorporated, 
is a Crown Colony. The government is administered by a 
Governor, with an Executive Council of six members. There 
is also a Legislative Council, consisting of ten officials, and 
of such other unofficial members as the Governor may 
appoint. These unofficial members hold their seats for 
five years, and are at present eleven in number, 

Governors of Trinidad since 1891 

Sir Napier Broome, K.C.M.G. 1891 

Sir H. E. H. Jerningham, K.C.M.G. 1897 

Sir C. A. Moloney, K.C.M.G. 1900 

Sir H. M. Jackson, G.C.M.G. 1904 

Sir George R. Le Hunte, G.C.M.G. 1909 

HOTELS. Port of Spain. The Queen's Park Hotel, 
situated on the south and breezy side of the Savannah, is 
quite one of the best in the West Indies — rooms and 
attendance 6s. 3d. and upwards ; board and lodging 12s. 6d. 
per day. The Family Hotel, Marine Square — rooms and 
attendance 55. per day ; board and lodging 8s. \&. The 
Hotel de Paris, in the old Union Club premises, Abercromby 
Street — rooms and attendance 4s. id. per day ; board and 
lodging 8s. ^d. per day. The Standard Hotel, opposite the 
railway terminus — rooms and attendance 4s. id. ; board 
and lodging 6s. 3d. per day. Mrs. Bryant's Lodgings, 7 
Queen's Park, E. (facing the Savannah), 8s. <\d. per day. 
In the Five Islands furnished houses are obtainable for £2 
to £3 per week ; and in Monos, Gasparee, and Chacachacare 
private houses can also bejrented by the week, fortnight 
or month at the rate off £$\ to ^10 per month, visitors 
providing their own linen and cutlery. At Gasparee Mrs. 
H. Vincent takes paying guests, if suitably introduced, for 
8s. 4^. per day. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Trinidad is served by the 
steamship companies numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 
14, 25, 27 and 28 in the list on pages 14 to 27. Thejreturn 
launch fare from steamer to the shore is 2s. per passenger. 

The roads in Trinidad are excellent for riding, driving, 
motoring, and cycling. Carriages are obtainable at Collie's 



TRINIDAD 217 

stables, Woodford Street, Haynes Clark's stables, Traga- 
rete Road, and also at Abercombie Stables — Single, 45. per 
hour ; pair, 8s. for the first hour, 6s. after ; £1 os. lod. per 
day and upwards ; and of W. T. King and Son, St. Vincent 
Street — Single, 45. per hour ; pair, 8s. ; £1 os. lod. per day. 
There are also numerous garages where motor-cars can be 
hired. 

The electric cars of the Trinidad Electric Company 
Limited run in Port of Spain and the suburbs every fifteen 
minutes, affording an excellent means of seeing a great 
deal of the life of the neighbourhood in a very short time. 
The routes are as follows : 

(1) From the railway station via Charlotte Street, Park Street, 
and Tragarete Road westward to Cocorite and Four Roads. 
Fare for the whole distance, \d. by ticket, or 6d. cash. 

(2) From the railway station via St. Vincent Street, Park 
Street, St. Ann's Road, and thence through Belmont. Fare, 
2d. by ticket, or 3d. cash. 

(3) From the railway station via Frederick Street, then along 
the east side of the Savannah, going northward into St. Ann's 
Valley. Fare, 2d. by ticket, or 3d. cash. 

(4) From the railway station via Frederick Street, entering 
the Savannah, and skirting the southern and western ends of 
it as far as the Maraval corner. Fare, 2d. by ticket, or 3d. cash. 

(5) The "Belt" route, round the Savannah after 5 p.m. 
daily. Fare, 2d. by ticket, or 3d. cash. 

Tickets are purchasable at the Transfer Station, Park 
Street, or from the car conductors, at the rate of six for is. 
Passengers travelling without tickets must pay 3d. a journey, 
but any passenger may transfer from one route to another 
without extra charge, except in the case of the " Belt " 
circuit, to which no transfer is allowed. It is therefore pos- 
sible to ride from Cocorite to Belmont, a distance of about 
four miles, for 2d. 

Pair-oared boats can be hired for £2 to £2 10s. per 
month, or a small fishing boat for £1 to £1 10s. 

The Trinidad Government Railway runs to San Fernando 
(1 hour 48 mins.), and Princes Town (2 hours 21 mins.) ; 
from Cunupia (Jerningham Junction) on the San Fernando 
line there is an extension to Tabaquite (15 miles) and thence 
to Rio Claro. On March 2, 1908, the Legislature approved 
the construction ofextensions from Tabaquite to Poole and 



218 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

from San Fernando to Siparia. The San Fernando-Siparia 
line, which was opened in November 191 3, between St. 
Joseph and Debe, runs almost its whole length through the 
sugar districts of the Colony, while the steamers from San 
Fernando, besides La Brea, serve the principal oil-field 
district. Another branch opens up some of the chief 
cocoa districts and goes to Arima (16 miles) and Sangre 
Grande (29 miles, 1^- hours). The latter is the prettiest 
line for excursions. It affords a series of lovely views of the 
central range of hills to the right going from Port of 
Spain, and of the northern range on the left, and gives 
tourists anadmirable opportunity of gauging the importance 
of the flourishing cocoa industry, which has not even yet 
reached the full limit of its development. On the next page 
is a list of the stations on the railway, their distance from 
Port of Spain, and a schedule of fares. 

Steamers run in connection with the trains at San 
Fernando, to Cedros (4 hrs 35 mins.), and once a week to 
Icacos (5 hrs. 5 mins), calling at La Brea (i|- hrs.) and 
Brighton (for the Pitch Lake), Guapo (2 hrs.), Cap-de-Ville 
(2 hrs. 50 mins.), Irois (3 hrs. 25 mins.), and Granville Bay 
(4 hrs. 5 mins.), returning the same day on Tuesdays and 
Saturdays ; and returning on the following day, on Sundays 
and Thursdays. Return fares : 



From 


1 st class 

and 
Saloon. 


2nd class 

and 
Saloon. 


Port of Spain to La Brea 
Cedros 
Icacos 


£ 5. d. 

IS 3 
1 

1 1 Sh 


s. d. 

1 1 2,\ 

16 10 
18 4 



Refreshments may be obtained on board the steamer. 

There is a steamer service between Port of Spain and the 
Five Islands (50 mins.), Gasparee (1 hr. 10 mins.), Monos 
(2 hrs. 25 mins.), and Chacachacare (2 hrs.) by the Govern- 
ment " Gulf Steamers " on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 
Saturday. The fares are low, the rate to Chacachacare being 
only 4s., or 6s. 3d. return. On Wednesdays and Saturdays 
cheap day return cabin tickets are issued at single fares. 



TRINIDAD 



219 





to 


Return 


Single 


Stations between 


3 


Tickets. 


Tickets. 


05 
















4-> 


I St 


2nd 


3rd 


I St 


2nd 


3rd 




s 


CI. 


CI. 


CI. 


CI. 


CI. 


CI. 


Port of Spain and 


Miles. 


$ c. 


$ c. 


$ c 


$ c 


$ c. 


S c. 


San Juan . 


4 


36 


24 


12 


24 


16 


8 


St. Joseph 


7 


63 


42 


21 


42 


28 


14 




r Tunapuna . 


9 


81 


54 


27 


54 


36 


18 



.2 


Tacarigua . 


10 


90 


60 


30 


60 


40 


20 


£ 


Arouca 


12 


1 8 


72 


36 


72 


48 


24 


9) 

•a 


Dabadie 


H 


1 26 


84 


42 


84 


56 


28 


2* 


Arima . 


16 


1 44 


96 


48 


96 


64 


32 


O 


Guanapo 


*9 


1 71 


1 14 


57 


1 14 


76 


38 


& 


Cumuto 


23 


2 7 


1 38 


69 


1 38 


92 


46 




Guaico 


28 


2 42 


1 58 


83 


1 61 


1 5 


55 


CO 


, Sangre Grande 


29 


2 46 


1 61 


84 


1 64 


1 7 


56 


Caroni 


11 


99 


66 


33 


66 


44 


22 


Cunupia 


14 


1 26 


84 


42 


84 


56 


28 




'Jerningham Junct. 


15 


1 35 


90 


45 


90 


60 


30 




Longdenville 


18 


1 62 


1 8 


54 


1 8 


72 


36 


J3 



Todd's Road 


21 


1 89 


1 26 


63 


1 26 


84 


42 


2 


Caparo* 


23 


2 7 


1 38 


69 


1 38 


92 


46 


m< 


Brasso Caparo* . 


27 


2 35 


1 55 


80 


1 57 


1 3 


53 





Tabaquite . 


30 


2 52 


1 62 


86 


1 68 


1 8 


57 


Oh 


Brothers Road 


34 


2 75 


1 73 


95 


1 83 


1 15 


63 


CJ 


San Pedro Trace . 


39 


3 00 


1 85 


1 06 


2 00 


1 23 


70 




,Rio Claro 


43 


3 23 


1 94 


1 14 


2 15 


1 29 


76 


Chaguanas 




18 


1 62 


1 8 


54 


1 8 


72 


36 


Carapichaima 




21 


1 89 


1 26 


63 


1 26 


84 


42 


Couva 




25 


2 25 


1 50 


75 


1 50 


1 


50 


California . 




27 


2 35 


1 55 


80 


1 57 


1 3 


53 


Claxton Bay 




30 


2 52 


1 62 


86 


1 68 


1 8 


57 


Pointe-a-Pierre 




32 


2 63 


1 6 7 


90 


1 75 


in 


60 


San Fernando 




35 


2 79 


1 74 


97 


1 86 


1 16 


65 


Corinth 




38 


2 96 


1 82 


1 04 


1 97 


1 21 


69 


Debe 




43 


3 23 


1 94 


1 14 


2 15 


1 29 


76 


Penal . 




46 


3 45 


2 07 


1 23 


2 30 


1 38 


82 


Siparia 




5i 


3 S3 


2 30 


1 35 


2 55 


1 53 


90 


m § / Union 




35 


2 79 


1 74 


97 


1 86 


1 16 


65 


S3 1 Reform 




37 


2 90 


1 79 


1 2 


1 93 


1 19 


68 


•gg] Williamsville 


39 


3 


1 85 


1 6 


2 


1 23 


70 


°*£ [Princes Town 


43 


3 23 


1 94 


1 14 


2 15 


1 29 


76 



* Caparo fares apply to Brasso Piedra, and Brasso Caparo 
fares to Flanagin Town. 



220 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

The steamer depots are in telephonic communication 
with Port of Spain, via San Fernando, and public messages 
may be sent by telegraph from all railway stations, with a 
few unimportant exceptions « A service of local trains 
runs from Port of Spain to Tacarigua (ten miles on the 
Arima line) at short intervals throughout the day. Twice 
daily the trains go as far as Arima. 

Regular steamer communication with Tobago is main- 
tained by coastal steamers of the Royal Mail Steam Packet 
Company, which run in connection with the transatlantic 
mail steamers. The steamers now on this route are the 
Barima and the Belize, two new vessels built on the lines 
of the inter-colonial steamers specially for the service. The 
itinerary of the steamers is as follows : 

In the Week of Arrival of Transatlantic Steamer from Home 

Monday, midnight. A steamer leaves Port of Spain for Blanch - 
isseuse, Matelot, Grande Riviere, Sans Souci, Toco and 
Scarborough (Tobago) ; thence via Manzanilla, Mayaro, 
Guayaguayare, Moruga and Erin, back to Port of Spain, reaching 
there on Friday night. 

Tuesday, 6 p.m. A steamer leaves Port of Spain for Toco and 
Scarborough ; thence round Tobago, going east, back to Scar- 
borough, which she leaves again at 8 p.m. on Thursday for 
Port of Spain, reaching there at 6 a.m. on Friday. 

Friday, 8 p.m. A steamer leaves Port of Spain for Scarborough 
direct, arriving at 6 a.m. on Saturday. She returns at io p.m., 
via Toco and the north coast ports, arriving at Port of Spain on 
Sunday afternoon. 

In the Week of Departure of Transatlantic Steamer for Home 

Monday, io p.m. A steamer proceeds round Trinidad, going 
south to Erin, Moruga, Guayaguayare, Mayaro, Manzanilla, 
and thence to Scarborough. 

Monday, 8 p.m. A steamer proceeds from Port of Spain to 
Scarborough direct, and thence round Tobago, going west, and 
leaving Scarborough at 8 p.m. on Thursday for Port of Spain 
direct, arriving there at 6 a.m. on Friday. 

The inclusive fare for the trip round Trinidad or Tobago 
by either steamer is $io (£2 is. Sd.). 

To those wishing to see the Orinoco River, opportunit 
is afforded by the comfortable river boats of the Compan 



TRINIDAD 221 

iVnonima di Navegacion fluvial y Costafiesa de Venezuela, 
which connect at Port of Spain with the Royal Mail 
steamers, and proceed every week to Ciudad Bolivar, 
whence smaller boats convey such passengers as may 
desire to proceed farther, to the upper reaches of the 
river. 

SPORTS. Cricket is deservedly popular, The Queen's 
Park Cricket Club, which has a membership of 400, occupies 
a large and enclosed ground beautifully situated, with an 
extensive pavilion and visitors' stand. The club, of which 
the Governor is president, also affords opportunities for 
lawn- tennis, boxing, and athletics. The Trinidad Turf Club, 
afhliated to the Jockey Club of England, holds race meetings 
at midsummer and in December, which attract very large 
crowds to the picturesque course on the Savannah. Several 
minor meetings are held in the country during the year, 
one always taking place between Christmas and New Year's 
Day ; apart from the very fair sport to be enjoyed, the 
assemblage of so many races in quaint costumes in the 
Queen's Park is a sight well worth witnessing. The St. 
Andrew's Golf Club has a large membership and well-kept 
links on the Savannah. Football is played continuously 
during the cooler months ; and for votaries of lawn-tennis 
there is the Tranquillity Tennis Club, which has courts 
near the Queen's Park Hotel, and also the St. James's 
Tennis Club, with courts on the Savannah near St. James's 
barracks. Bathing, tarpon and other kinds of fishing, 
cycling, and sailing can also be indulged in. Plenty of 
tarpon are to be caught in Macqueripe Bay, and the sea 
fishing in the Bocas is excellent. One hundred and sixteen 
different kinds of fish are found in Trinidad waters, of which 
eighty-five are food fishes and thirty-one are not used for 
food. Cavalli or carangue, tarpon or grand ecaille, king-fish 
or tasard, and the barracouta are the most highly prized 
by sportsmen. Alligators are found in the Caroni River, 
two miles from Port of Spain, and flamingoes and several 
kinds of wild duck give good sport for the gun. In a word, 
there is no lack of sport in Trinidad. 

SOCIAL CLUES. There are three excellent social clubs 
to which visitors are admitted on introduction by members, 



222 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the Union in Marine Square, founded in 1878, the Savannah, 
in the position indicated by its name, and the St. Clair, 
near the Savannah. The St. Clair Club, to which ladies as 
well as gentlemen are admitted, has extensive grounds, 
where lawn-tennis and croquet are played. The Public 
Library occupies a handsome building in Brunswick Square. 
There is a large and well-stocked free reading-room, and a 
library containing 25,000 volumes, which is open daily 
(Sundays excepted) from 8 a.m. till 9 p.m. Subscription, 
i2s 4 or £1 per annum, for two or four volumes, payable 
yearly, quarterly, or monthly. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. There is a great deal to be seen in 
Port of Spain and the neighbourhood. The town, which 
has been characterised as the cleanest and most sanitary 
in the West Indies, occupies the site of the old Indian 
village Conquerabia. It is well built, and the streets, which 
are well proportioned, are lighted by electricity. The 
Commercial News Room adjoins the Harbour Master's 
Office on the site of the old battery which was on the sea 
front before the foreshore was reclaimed. 

From the wharves — where the Customs' formalities are 
of the slightest so far as visitors are concerned — St. 
Vincent, Abercromby and Chacon Streets, and Broadway, 
which all run parallel to each other, lead to Marine 
Square, really more a spacious boulevard than a square in 
the proper sense of the term. It was established by Sir 
Ralph Woodford on land reclaimed from the Gulf, and ex- 
tends from St. Vincent Wharf at the west to the Roman 
Catholic Cathedral at the east. The Roman Catholic Cathe- 
dral (the Church of the Immaculate Conception) is a Gothic 
building situated in Marine Square. Like the Anglican 
Cathedral, it was designed by Mr. Reinagle and erected 
at the instance of Sir Ralph Woodford, in memory of whom 
it contains a mural tablet by Chantrey. The foundation- 
stone was laid on March 26, 181 6, but the Cathedral was 
not opened until April 15 (Palm Sunday), 1832. 

The Colonial Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada 
are both in Marine Square, the latter occupying a building 
at the corner of Broadway '{see next page). 

In Columbus Square to the east of the Roman 



TRINIDAD 223 

Catholic Cathedral there is a handsome fountain sur- 
mounted by a statue of Christopher Columbus, which was 
presented to the town by one of its citizens, Mr. Hippolite 
Borde, and unveiled in 1881, when the square was opened. 
It is inscribed : 

CRISTOFORO COLOMBO 
DISCOVERER OF THE ISLAND, 3 1 JULY, I498. 

In Harris Square, between Marine Square and the 
Savannah, a statue perpetuates the memory of Lord 
Harris, Governor from 1846 to 1854. 

Near the foot of the old Almond Walk, now widened 
and called by the less romantic name of Broadway, are 
the Railway Station and electric Tram terminus. 

Port of Spain has excellent Stores, as the shops are 
called, built of stone or concrete, with lantern roofs and 
ornamental iron galleries ; and every conceivable necessity 
of life can be obtained in Frederick Street and Marine 
Square. The General Post Office in St. Vincent Street 
is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ; on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 
noon ; and on Sundays and public holidays from 7 a.m. 
to 8 A.M. 

Proceeding up Abercromby or Frederick Streets, one 
reaches Brunswick Square, an open space laid out by 
Governor Sir Ralph Woodford at his own expense. In the 
middle of it a fountain presented by the late Mr. Gregor 
Turnbull is a centre of interest. The Square is said 
to occupy the site of an engagement between two tribes of 
Indians, and for this reason it used to be called the Place 
des Ames — the Place of the Souls. On the west side of it 
is the Red House, or Government Building. It was burnt 
down during a riot on March 23, 1903, but has since been 
rebuilt on a greatly enlarged scale, and now forms quite 
the most imposing structure in the British West Indies. 
The new Government offices were completed, and the 
various departments moved into them from the temporary 
offices, which they occupied for over three years, in October 
1906. The new offices are commodious and airy, and afford 
ample space and facilities for the storage of records. The 
principal Court of Justice at the southern end of the buildings 



224 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

and the Legislative Council Chamber, which occupies the 
northern extremity, are particularly handsome halls, the 
decoration of which reflects credit on local workmen. 
Immediately opposite, on the east side, is the Greyfriars 
Presbyterian Church, while on the south side stands 
the handsome Holy Trinity Cathedral (Anglican). The 
Cathedral was erected during the governorship of Sir Ralph 
Woodford from the designs of Mr. Philip Reinagle, a son of 
the artist. The foundation-stone was laid on May 30, 
1 81 6, and the building was consecrated on Trinity Sunday, 
May 25, 1823. A monument by Chan trey to Sir Ralph, 
who did for Trinidad much what Haussman did for Paris 
in the matter of improvements, is in the south aisle. It is 
inscribed : 

SIR RALPH WOODFORD BARONET 

FOR FIFTEEN YEARS GOVERNOR OF THE COLONY AND 

FOUNDER OF THIS CHURCH WHO WAS BORN ON THE 

2 1 ST JULY I784 AND DIED ON THE l6TH MAY 1 82 8. 

THE INHABITANTS OF TRINIDAD 

DEEPLY SENSIBLE OF THE SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT 

WHICH HIS LONG ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT 

CONFERRED UPON THE COLONY AND OF THE IRREPARABLE J 

LOSS WHICH THEY SUSTAINED BY HIS DEATH 

HAVE CAUSED THIS MONUMENT TO BE ERECTED 

AS A LASTING MEMORIAL OF HIS MANY PUBLIC AND 

PRIVATE VIRTUES AND 

OF THEIR RESPECT AND GRATITUDE. 

The high altar and choir stalls of carved mahogany and 
cedar are excellent examples of West Indian workmanship. 
The marble reredos was erected by public subscription as a 
memorial to Bishop Hayes (1889 to 1904 ) and was dedicated 
in 191 1. A chiming apparatus is attached to the peal of 
eight bells, the gift of Bishop Rawle. On the north side of 
the square are the City Commissioners Offices, which con- 
tain oil paintings of General Picton and of several other 
governors of Trinidad, and the Public Library, which was 
opened 1851 and has now upwards of 25,000 volumes. The 
present building was opened in 1902. The Police Barracks 
close by are a substantial building erected in Italian Gothic 
style at a cost of ^90,000. 

Near the top of Frederick Street on the left is the 



TRINIDAD 225 

Government Laboratory, which replaces a building dating 
from 1872 destroyed by fire in 1896. Farther up the 
street (left) is the Royal Victoria Institute erected to com- 
memorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee, and opened in 1892. It 
was considerably enlarged in 1901 by the addition of the 
memorial wing to Queen Victoria, and again in 191 3 by one 
to King Edward. The latter was opened by Princess Marie 
Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, who at the same time an- 
nounced that King George had consented to the Institute 
receiving the designation " Royal." It contains an interest- 
ing museum of local products and natural history specimens, 
in addition to lecture rooms, reading and recreation rooms, 
and an entertainment hall. It is managed by a Committee 
and subsidised by the local Government ; and educational, 
art, and industrial classes have been successfully organised 
in connection with it. The latter are conducted by the 
Board of Industrial Training in a well-equipped building 
generously presented by the late Mr. B. H. Stephens and 
his brother, Mr. J. Stephens. In front of the Institute is 
an anchor which was recovered from the depths of the 
Gulf and is supposed to have belonged to one of Columbus' 
ships. 

The Savannah, known as Queen's Park, an extensive open 
space of nearly 130 acres, is the centre of life in Trinidad, 
round which is the fashionable residential quarter. It has 
few trees except round the edge, but a clump of cabbage 
palms, popularly known as the Seven Sisters, forms a 
particularly noticeable feature. Near the centre is the 
small private cemetery of the Peschier family. The 
Savannah is covered with grass, on which golf, cricket, 
football, and other games are played. It is here also that 
the racecourse, with its stands, is situated. This pleasure- 
ground, round the inside of which the electric trams run, 
is fringed with villas and mansions, several of which would 
not look out of place in Park Lane, and it is surrounded by 
an asphalt path — called the Pitch Walk — which presents 
an animated appearance in the cool of the evening when the 
rank and fashion of Trinidad take their airing. The fireflies 
after dark are very numerous and strikingly beautiful. 

Queen's Royal College, on the west side of Queen's 

p 



226 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Park, is a very handsome building, designed and built by 
the Public Works Department of Trinidad, to which it does 
infinite credit. It was opened on March 24, 1904, by the 
then Governor, Sir Alfred Moloney. The college, whose 
students vary in age from nine to twenty years, has a 
spacious lecture hall and several class-rooms. Founded in 
1859 under the name of the Queen's Collegiate School, as 
the Goverment Department for higher education in the 
colony, its sphere of influence was extended in 1870, when 
it was first called Queen's Royal College by permission of 
Queen Victoria. The clock and chimes in the tower were 
the gift of Mr. W. Gordon Gordon, a prominent citizen, to 
commemorate the reign of King Edward VII. 

The St. Glair Experiment Station, which was established 
in 1898, is situated at the north-west corner of the Savannah 
between the Maraval and Serpentine Roads and not far 
from the ground of the Queen's Park Cricket Club. 

Government House stands at the foot of the hills at 
St. Ann's on the north or far side of the Savannah, which it 
overlooks. It is a substantial building of limestone, erected 
in 1875, on the Indian model, from designs by Mr. Ferguson, 
at a cost of ^45,000. Its surroundings are very attractive, 
for it stands in the world-famous Botanic Gardens, to 
which Charles Kingsley devoted so many pages of glowing 
description in "At Last." They were established under 
the direction of Mr. David Lockhart in 1820, and enriched 
by plants from the historic St. Vincent Garden three years 
later. When Kingsley visited Trinidad in 1869 the old 
Government House had been destroyed, and the Governor, 
Sir Arthur Gordon — afterwards Lord Stanmore — with 
whom he stayed, lived in a cottage just outside the gardens, 
the remains of which can still be seen. 

The Gardens were formerly the sole domain under the 
charge of the Botanic Department, now merged in the 
Department of Agriculture. But as they proved too small 
for the double purpose of amassing a collection of tropical 
plants and the carrying out of experimental work, the 
closely adjacent St. Clair Experiment Station was added 
in 1898. In it are now situated the offices, herbarium, 
library, meteorological instruments, a seismograph for 



* 

^i 




GIANT BAMBOOS, TRINIDAD 

This magnificent clump of Bamboos [Bambusa gigantea) is over iooft. high 



TRINIDAD 227 

recording earthquakes, and the nursery. Small-scale 
experiments are carried out at St. Clair ; but with the 
modern development of the Department all large-scale 
experiments have been transferred to St. Augustine Estate 
(adjoining the Government Farm at St. Joseph) and at 
River Estate (on the way to Blue Basin), permission to 
visit which is readily given on application to the Director 
of Agriculture. 

Government House Gardens, now set free from more 
utilitarian purposes, are being developed as a store-house of 
tropical plants arranged with more regard to ornamental 
effect than was possible in their former more crowded 
condition. The following are amongst the more note- 
worthy objects of interest to the visitor with a short time 
at his disposal : The front lawns near the bandstand with 
their beds of decorative tropical plants ; the adjacent 
fernery ; the collection of palms, in which the Gardens are 
rich, including not only native species but also introductions 
such as the oil palm of West Africa (Elcsis guineensis), the 
talipot of Ceylon (Corypha umbraculifera), the date palms 
and other species of Phcenix ; the graceful bamboos, 
including the old clump of the magnificent giant bamboo 
of Java (Dendrooalamus giganteus) ; the curious screw pines 
(Pandanus spp.) supported on their curious stilt roots ; and 
the native cannon-ball tree (Couroupita guianensis). Masses 
of colour are provided in season by the flamboyante tree 
(Poinciana regid), the Queen of Flowers (Lagerstrcemia flos- 
regince), the wonderful Burmese Amherstia nobilis, the tree 
Cassias, such climbers as the gorgeous bougainvilleas, the 
Shower of Gold (Bignonia), and the beautiful white and 
gold Camcensia maxima near the Fern Houses. Amongst the 
shrubs the crotons, hibiscus, and poinsettias, cannot fail to 
delight the visitor from temperate regions. Scattered about 
the gardens are numerous examples of the umbrella-shaped 
saman or rain-tree (Pithecolobium saman), the finest 
example being one by the west corner of Government 
House. The Nutmeg Ravine affords a delightfully shady 
walk, along which are to be seen specimens of the panama hat 
plant (Carludovica palmata) and the vegetable ivory palm 
(Phytelephas macrocarpa). By the far end of the Nutmeg 



228 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Ravine is a fine collection of palms, mostly native, and the fern 
and orchid houses, surrounded by more beds of ornamental 
plants. Amongst recent interesting additions to the 
Gardens are young trees of the handsome Colevillea racemosa 
and the Indian laburnum (Cassia fistula), planted by H.R.H. 
Prince Albert of Wales and H.H. Princess Marie Louise of 
Schleswig-Holstein during their visits in 191 3. The back of 
the Gardens contains several pleasant walks, and every one 
should take one of the paths up the hill to the " Look-out," 
or Folly, a shelter at an elevation of about 300 feet, whence 
there is a splendid panoramic view over Port of Spain, the 
Gulf, and away over the Caroni swamp to San Fernando 
Hill, a conspicuous object in the distance to the left. 

The Constabulary Band plays in the Gardens on Wednes- 
days and Sundays from 5 p.m. to dusk, and once a month, 
at about full moon, in the evening. 

At the upper end of Charlotte Street (right) is the 
Colonial Hospital, which occupies a handsome block of 
buildings standing in spacious grounds. 

Prince's Building, in a small Savannah to the south 
of Queen's Park, was erected in 1861 in anticipation of a 
visit by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, which never took 
place. It is now used for theatricals, concerts, dances, &c. 

A delightful afternoon drive may be taken through 
Cocorite to Carenage and back along the coast, affording a 
fine view of the sunset over the Five Islands. About four 
miles beyond Carenage is Macqueripe Bay, a favourite 
resort of picnic parties. 

Country Excursions 

The Maraval Reservoirs (4i miles from Port of Spain), 
which, together with the Diego Martin Waterworks, are 
the main source of water-supply of the city, are a pleasant 
afternoon's drive. The reservoirs, which are scrupulously 
clean and surrounded by bright- coloured crotons, oleanders 
and ferns, are by no means unpicturesque. 

The Blue Basin at Diego Martin is 9 miles from Port 
of Spain (3 hours by carriage or 1-1^ by motor there and 
back). The beginning of the drive is through the interesting 



TRINIDAD 229 

East Indian village of Peru, and thence up the Diego Martin 
valley. Port George, near Peru, but 1120 ft. above the 
sea-level, commands a splendid view of Port of Spain, 
the Gulf, and Venezuela beyond. Fort George, now a 
signal station, was built in 1805 by Governor Sir Thomas 
Hislop. It proved the ruin of a wealthy merchant named 
George Dickson, who spent a fortune of ^80,000 in defend- 
ing himself against charges of committing irregularities in 
connection with the supply of materials, before he was 
acquitted. It was to this fort that the merchants of Port 
of Spain took their books and valuables when Nelson's 
Fleet was mistaken for that of Villeneuve, which he was 
pursuing immediately before the battle of Trafalgar. At 
one part the Diego Martin valley opens out into a flat plain, 
which formerly used to be under sugar-canes, but is now for 
the most part quite uncultivated/ The plain has an evil 
reputation, having been the scene of no fewer than four 
blood-curdling murders, the last having been when a priest 
was brutally murdered and was found tied to a tree. About a 
mile this side of the Blue Basin are situated the new Water- 
works, which were formally inaugurated in 1907. The 
River Estate was acquired by the Government in 1897 
in order to protect the sources of water-supply. The 
lower portion is now cultivated as a cacao estate in charge 
of the Department of Agriculture. It occupies a natural 
amphitheatre of timber-covered hills with an opening to the 
south. On this ridge are situated the North Post signalling 
station and wireless telegraphy station. At the head of 
the valley conveyances stop, and visitors proceed afoot 
up a winding mountain path for about half a mile. The 
Blue Basin is a small lake, forty or fifty yards in diameter, 
into which a waterfall precipitates itself in a slanting 
direction from the midst of dense tropical foliage. Visitors 
can generally depute a small boy to bathe in the limpid 
waters (if one of the party does not care to do so himself), and 
thus form the foreground to a striking picture for the camera. 
To the Saddle (18 miles from Port of Spain), a pass in 
the mountain range dividing the Maraval and Santa Cruz 
valleys, is a splendid ride or drive through some of the 
oldest cacao estates in the island. 



2 jo POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

The Maracas Fall (340 ft. in height) is far finer than 
the Blue Basin, but the expedition to it requires a full day. 
The Maracas Fall is, of course, seen at its best in the rainy 
season, but at any time of the year it is noteworthy. The 
water falls over a perpendicular wall of solid rock 340 ft. 
high, splitting itself in the air, and thus producing a 
constant shower. The rock is covered with mosses and 
ferns and tropical plants of every description. It is reached 
by train to St. Joseph (7 miles), and thence by carriage 
(7^ miles), through very characteristic scenery and many 
cocoa plantations, in the direction of El Tucuche, one of 
the two highest peaks in Trinidad, which is about 4 
miles beyond the fall. 

The sleepy little town of St. Joseph, the former capital 
of the island, founded as far back as 1577 and called after 
Don Josef de Orufia, a former Governor, was the scene 
of the mutiny of free black recruits of the West India 
Regiment under Donald Stewart or Daaga on June 17, 
1837, of which a graphic description is given in E. L. 
Joseph's " History of Trinidad." Many of the mutineers were 
shot on the spot where the convent now stands. The 
barracks were situated on the Savannah beyond the church, 
the main buildings were on the left of the road and the 
parade ground on the right. Daaga, who was the adopted 
son of the King of the Paupaus, a savage African race, was 
captured by some Portuguese by treachery while he was 
transferring to them some slaves whom he had taken 
during a predatory expedition. The Portuguese vessel on 
which he was entrapped fell into the hands of the British 
and he and many other captured Africans were induced 
to enlist in the West India Regiment. Daaga nurtured in 
his heart deep hatred against all white people and he 
it was who persuaded the recruits to rise. Happily they 
were unskilled in the use of firearms ; otherwise the blood- 
shed — about forty lives were lost — would have been far 
greater. Many deeds of valour were done, not the least 
of which was the ride of Adjutant Bently from the 
Officers' Quarters to the Barracks under a rain of bullets. 
Happily the mutiny was suppressed and after a court- 
martial Donald Stewart, Maurice Ogston, and Edward 



TRINIDAD 231 

Coffin, the three ringleaders, were executed before the 
barracks. 

The mutineers marched abreast. The tall form and horrid 
looks of Daaga were almost appalling. The looks of Ogston 
were sullen, calm and determined ; those of Coffin seemed to 
indicate resignation. 

At eight o'clock they arrived at the spot where three graves 
were dug ; here their coffins were deposited. The condemned 
men were made to face to westward. Three sides of a hollow 
square were formed, flanked on one side by a detachment of 
the 89th Regiment and a party of artillery, while the recruits 
(many of whom shared the guilt of the culprits) were appro- 
priately placed in the line opposite them. The firing-party 
were a little in advance of the recruits. 

The sentence of the Courts Martial and other necessary docu- 
ments having been read by the Fort Adjutant, Meehan, the 
chaplain of the forces, read some prayers appropriated for these 
melancholy occasions. The clergyman then shook hands with 
the three men about to be sent into, another state of existence. 
Daaga and Ogston coolly gave their hands ; Coffin wrang the 
chaplain's hand affectionately, saying, in tolerable English, 
" I am now done with the world." 

The arms of the condemned men, as has been before stated, 
were bound, but in such a manner as to allow them to bring their 
hands to their heads. Their night-caps were drawn over their 
eyes. Coffin allowed his to remain, but Ogston and Daaga 
pushed theirs up again. The former did this calmly ; the latter 
showed great wrath, seeming to think himself insulted, and his 
deep metallic voice sounded in anger above that of the Provost 
Marshal, as the latter gave the words "Ready! Present!" 
But at this instant his vociferous daring forsook him. As the 
men levelled their muskets at him, with inconceivable rapidity 
he sprang bodily round, still preserving his squatting posture, 
and received the fire from behind ; while the less noisy, but more 
brave, Ogston, looked the firing party full in the face as they 
discharged their fatal volley. 

In one instant all three fell dead, almost all the balls of the 
firing-party having taken effect. The savage appearance and 
manner of Daaga excited awe, admiration was felt for the calm 
bravery of Ogston, while Edward Coffin's fate excited commisera- 
tion. 

The town has several churches, that of the Roman Catholics 
being noteworthy on account of some very old stained- 
glass windows. In the churchyard is the curious old 
tomb of the Farfan family. Near by are the Government 
Stock Farm and the St. Augustine Estate, where the 
large-scale experiment work of the Department of Agricul- 



232 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

ture is carried on. Permits to visit both can be obtained 
from the Department. In the drawing-room of the former 
residence, "Valsayn," Don Josef Maria Chacon, the last 
Spanish Governor, signed the treaty of capitulation to the 
English in 1797. Sir Ralph Abercromby and Admiral 
Harvey were the English representatives, and the Mayor, 
Don Jose Mazan, was also present. His portrait and that 
of his wife are shown. It was through the orchard that 
Sir Walter Ralegh and his men approached when they 
burnt the town in 1595. The Stock Farm, now 350 acres 
in extent, was originally started in 1879 at St. Clair, and 
was removed to its present site in 1901. Here some fine 
Zebu cattle can be seen. The Royal Palm near the 
manager's office was one of two planted by Prince Albert 
Victor and Prince George (our present King) when they 
visited Trinidad in the Bacchante in 1880. 

St. Augustine Estate, also at St. Joseph, was pur- 
chased by the Government in 1900. It is administered by 
the Department of Agriculture. Here cultivation and 
manurial experiments are conducted. 

In the Montserrat district, reached by train to Claxton 
Bay (30 miles, if- hours from Port of Spain), the chief 
object of interest, besides the many cocoa estates, is the 
Black Virgin in the small church of Notre Dame de Mont- 
serrat at Tortuga. It is a wooden figure of the Madonna 
and Child, which was imported by Mr. Joaquim Colomer 
from Spain, and, though her features are not those of 
a negress, her face and hands are quite black. There is 
also another Black Virgin in Trinidad, at a church in Siparia, 
near La Brea, and it is said that she was taken into Port 
of Spain by a priest, but that, like the Bambino of the Ara 
Coeli, in Rome, she found her way back to her original home. 
The view from Montserrat is at all times exquisite ; but it 
is seen at its best when the Bois Immortel (Erythrina 
umbrosa) is in bloom. This tree, which is planted to shade 
the cocoa trees and is consequently called " madre de cacao," 
is in January and February ablaze with a brick-red flower. 

San Fernando, the second town of the island (35 miles 
from Port of Spain, two hours by train), was founded by 
Chacon in 171 2 and named after the son of Carlos IV of 



TRINIDAD 233 

Spain, who afterwards became Ferdinand VII. It is 
situated on the slopes of a hill of cretaceous formation, 
which stands out by itself near the sea in the undulating 
Naparima district, the principal sugar-growing part of 
the island. From this centre several Sugar Estates and 
factories may be visited. They include the Usine St. 
Madeleine of the St. Madeleine Sugar Company Ltd. 
(4 miles from San Fernando) and La Fortunee Estate, 
belonging to Tennants Estates Ltd. All are equipped 
with modern machinery of a very elaborate character, and 
they are in striking contrast in this respect to many of the 
estates in neighbouring islands. The Usine St. Madeleine 
is an immense building resembling a railway station rather 
than a sugar factory. It was the first central factory 
erected in the British West Indies, having been founded in 
1870 by the Colonial (later the New Colonial) Company 
at the instance of Sir Nevile Lubbock, who was also 
responsible for the development of cane farming, a system 
by which peasant proprietors grow sugar-canes and deliver 
them when ripe to the factory. The principle of the 
central factory system, in which the future of the West 
Indian sugar industry is believed to lie, is the grouping 
together of a number of estates whose sugar-canes are 
ground at one central base, with the result that a con- 
siderable saving of expense is effected. The canes are 
brought to the factory by locomotives over railways, of 
which there are some 60 miles running through or in com- 
munication with the estates which feed this particular Usine. 
There are now nearly 12,000 prosperous cane farmers in 
the neighbourhood, of whom more than half are East 
Indians. 

Princes Town (8 miles by rail, and 7 by road from 
San Fernando) is chiefly worthy of notice on account of the 
mud volcanoes 5 or 6 miles to the south-east of it, 
which, however, it must be admitted, are rather dis- 
appointing, although they are now considered to indicate 
the presence of oil in the strata below, which a company 
will soon endeavour to exploit. The mud volcanoes are 
excrescences on the surface of a bare muddy flat, from 
which muddy water and gas ooze. Occasionally the little 



234 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

volcanoes are very active ; but they have never done any 
harm. The residents in the neighbourhood call the place 
" the Devil's Wood-yard." Prior to a visit of his Majesty 
King George, who was then Prince George of Wales, and 
his brother Prince Albert Victor, during their cruise in the 
Bacchante in 1880, the town was known as the Mission, 
having formerly been, like Arima, a spot where the mis- 
sionaries worked among the original Indian inhabitants. 
Two Poui trees planted by the young Princes in the church- 
yard are pointed out to visitors. The railings which 
surround them were put up in 1887 to commemorate Queen 
Victoria's Jubilee. 

The Pitch Lake at La Brea is reached by Gulf steamer 
from Port of Spain or by train to San Fernando, and 
thence by steamer, the expedition occupying a whole day. 
To go to Trinidad without visiting the Pitch Lake would be 
like going to Rome without entering St. Peter's. The lake 
is a vast deposit of bituminous matter, 114 acres in extent. 
The surface, except for small wooded islands, is bare of 
vegetation and hard enough to bear foot traffic and also 
carts, while by the aid of a sort of corduroy road made of 
palm branches, it supports a cable tramway. The pitch is 
dug out and loaded into buckets which are carried by cars 
on the tramway. These buckets, suspended on a cable, are 
conveyed by a system of telpherage along a jetty known as 
" Brighton Pier," whence the pitch is shipped to all parts 
of the world. It is possible to pick up masses of the pitch 
and to mould it into shapes without soiling one's hands, the 
pitch being mixed with grit and not pure ; and almost as fast 
as it is dug out, fresh material works itself in by natural 
pressure from the sides and from below. The lake is at 
present leased to the New Trinidad Lake Asphalt Co. Ltd., 
who export on the average about 200,000 tons of pitch 
annually. Mr. Arthur W. Sewall, the Chairman of the Com- 
pany, and the majority of the Board are Philadelphians, 
while Mr. H. F. Previte is the London director. The 
origin of the deposit has caused no little discussion, but 
the best opinion seems to be that the asphalt is a carboni- 
ferous deposit formed under the influence of petroleum 
which has escaped from the oil sands beneath. The lake 



) 



GUAYAGUAYARE BEACH, TRINIDAD 
A delightful drive in buggies can be enjoyed on the sands 




THE PITCH LAKE AT LA BREA, TRINIDAD 

It is quite safe to walk on the pitch, over which runnels of water trickle 



TRINIDAD 235 

itself, owing to the absorption of the sun's rays, is one of 
the hottest spots in the world, while it is peculiarly subject 
to sudden showers of cold rain. The white employees of 
the company used to reside on Brighton Pier, which con- 
sequently resembled a lake village. Now, however, the 
whole forest has been cut down and they are accommodated 
in a group of charming houses which looks quite like a 
garden suburb. Near by are seen the huge oil tanks. A 
peculiarity of the spot is the presence of a singularly 
unattractive breed of pelicans. There is a tradition that 
the village of a tribe of the Chaimas occupied the spot 
where the Pitch Lake now is. These Indians offended the 
Good Spirit by destroying the humming-birds, which were 
animated by the souls of their deceased relations, and were 
therefore, as a punishment, engulfed with their village and 
all their belongings. 

The whole of this district has undergone a remarkable 
change in recent years as a result of the development of the 
local petroleum industry. Permission can readily be 
obtained to inspect the oil wells, tanks and pipe-lines. 

The Manjak Mines, near San Fernando (35 miles by 
train from Port of Spain), will interest many. They are 
said to contain the largest deposits of this mineral yet dis- 
covered. Manjak is a form of bitumen in a solid and very 
pure state. It is used principally for electric insulation, 
and in the manufacture of varnish and enamel. 

The Guayaguayare Oil-Fields should also be seen if 
time permits. They can be reached by the contract 
coasting steamer of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., 
which proceeds round the island once a week. The north- 
east trade-wind, fresh from across 2500 miles of ocean, blows 
uninterruptedly straight upon the East Coast, lashing the 
shallow sea into foaming breakers for more than a mile out. 
The shore for sixteen miles is lined with waving coco-nut 
trees extending to the very edge of, and sometimes on to, 
the sandy beach itself, the whole forming, as it suddenly 
breaks upon the eye, the marvellous panorama of life, 
sound, and colour which Kingsley pictured forty-five years 
ago. The existence of the Cocal, as it is called, is attributed 
to a French vessel laden with coco -nuts having been wrecked 



236 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

on the coast many years ago. Many of the nuts took root, 
grew and multiplied. 

The train to Sangre Grande (29 miles from Port of Spain) 
takes visitors to within a few miles of the more northerly part 
of the east coast (Bande de L'Est) and carriages and motor- 
' buses are always available to convey passengers from the 
railway station for the rest of the journey. Here there is 
a glorious expanse of sands, and the conditions of scenery 
and climate closely resemble those prevailing on the 
Guayaguayare beach. 

The Five Islands, near Port of Spain, and Gasparee, 
Monos, and Chacachacare at the Bocas, form ideal picnic 
resorts, which are much frequented from Saturday to 
Monday. They are visited by the Gulf steamer four times 
a week. The chief residences are La Tinta, Boissiere's, 
Rust's and La Haute on Chacachacare ; Wehekind's on 
Huevos; and Domus, Balmoral, Morrison, Protheroe's 
Copper Hole, Grand Forest, Pampelonne's and Kenny's on 
Monos ; and on Gasparee, Pointe Baleine, Fort Dragon, 
St. Mary's, Acham's, Herrera's, Bourne's, Sorzano's, Boda's, 
Goodwille's, Savary's, Bombshell Bay, and Gamble's. In 
Chaguaramas Bay, opposite Gasparee, a Floating dock, 
formerly owned by the Trinidad Dock and Engineering 
Company, but now the property of the local Government, 
is moored. It has an over-all length of 365 ft., an inside 
width of 56 ft. and can lift ships of 4000 tons. 

On Gasparee, or Gaspar Grande, there are some very 
remarkable stalagmitic caves which rival the Blue Grotto 
of Capri for beauty. They are situated at Pointe Baleine, 
the western extremity. A boat can be hired at St. 
Mary's, where the Gulf steamer calls four times a week, 
and the boatman or a watchman is generally ready to act 
as guide. A walk of twenty minutes through bush and 
guinea-grass leads to the entrance of the big cave. The 
descent is made by crude ladders. The caves have never 
been fully explored, but it is said that they were used as a 
treasure store by the buccaneers. 

Trinidad is essentially an island for a prolonged stay, and 
not a few who visit it avail themselves of the opportunities 
which it affords for the profitable investment of capital. 



TOBAGO 257 

TOBAGO 

Robinson Crusoe's Island 

GENERAL ASPECT. If for no other reason than that it 
is the island from which Defoe drew his descriptions for 
his immortal work, " Robinson Crusoe," Tobago — which 
at one period of its existence was called New Walcheren — 
has a peculiar fascination and charm. It lies in latitude 
ii° 9' N. and longitude 6o° 12' W., about 75 miles 
south-east of Grenada and only about 20 miles north-east 
of Trinidad, the actual distance between Scarborough, its 
chief town, and Port of Spain being 70 miles, and the 
nearest points in the two islands Point Petit and Point 
Galera respectively. The island, of which the population 
at last census was 20,762, is 26 miles long and y\ miles wide 
at its greatest breadth, and has a total area of 114^ square 
miles. Unlike its neighbours, it lies east and west. As 
regards the geological formation of the island, it may be 
noted that Mr. Cunningham Craig, the late Government 
Geologist, has observed that the northern range of Trinidad 
is entirely formed of metamorphic rocks and is part of the 
same massif which forms almost the whole of Tobago. A 
main ridge of hills 18 miles in length runs down the centre 
of the northern portion, culminating in Pigeon Hill (Spey- 
side), which is 1900 to 2000 ft. above the sea. Long deep 
valleys run up to it from either side, divided from each 
other by spurs which branch off from the main ridge. These 
valleys are very fertile, each having its own stream. The 
principal river is the Courland in the north-west, named 
after the Viking Duke who in the seventeenth century 
exercised almost sovereign sway in Tobago. The central 
portion is undulating, with little valleys and conical hills, 
and the south end is quite flat. About 53,000 acres are 
owned privately ; 6360 acres in the north are set apart as 
a rain and forest reserve, and the remaining 13,640 acres 
are Crown lands available for sale. The chief areas of 
cultivation are on the south side, on which the slopes of 
the hills are less steep than in the north. Scarborough 
(population 2500), the capital of Tobago, is situated at the 



2 3 8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

south of the island, about eight miles from the south-west 
point. The only other town is Plymouth, really only a 
village (population 1200), on the north side, five miles from 
Scarborough. The principal villages are Roxburgh in 
the Windward district and Moriah in the northern. Around 
the coast there are many excellent bays, most of which are 
well sheltered and afford safe anchorage with deep soundings. 
Indeed, Man-o'-War Bay, a very spacious harbour, is said 
to be capable of affording shelter to the whole of the British 
fleet ! What is most wanted for Tobago is the introduction 
of capital and labour ; given that, there should be no reason 
why this beautiful island should not regain a large portion 
at least of its former prosperity. A hopeful feature is the 
number of new settlers from the Old Country who have 
lately acquired plantations in different parts of the island. 
INDUSTRIES. The soil of Tobago is fertile and capable 
of producing a variety of tropical products. Sugar is no 
longer the staple of the island, cocoa, coco-nuts, rubber, 
coffee, and nutmegs having now taken its place. The 
largest cocoa plantations are in the Windward district and 
at Roxburgh, where the latest developments in cocoa 
cultivation and preparation may be seen. WTiat is known 
as the contract system is frequently adopted in the establish- 
ment of a cocoa estate. The land is given out to contractors 
in parcels of three to five acres for a term of years — usually 
five. The contractor has entire possession of the land during 
that period, reaps the ground provisions, and plants it in 
cocoa. At the expiration of the contract, the trees are 
counted, and a fixed price, usually 15.., is paid for each 
full-bearing tree, 6d. for each tree not full bearing but over 
three years of age, and 3d. for each tree between one year 
and three years. These agreements are dealt with under the 
Agricultural Contracts Ordinance and a statutory form of 
contract has been established. Rubber (Castillo a elastic a 
and Hevea brasiliensis) has been planted to a considerable 
extent, and this product, now that it has begun to reach the 
"tappable" stage, should add materially to the welfare of 
the island. Limes are also being planted, the soil being 
very suitable for citrus cultivation. Tobacco is produced 
to a small extent in the Leeward district, and is used locally 



TOBAGO 239 

for pipe smoking. Cotton is also grown in the flat lands 
of the Leeward district, and Thornton's hybrid, a local 
product, has given excellent crops, but stainers and other 
pests have hindered the progress of this important industry. 
An impetus has been given to the raising of stock by the 
establishment of the Government Stock Farm. 

CLIMATE. The climate of Tobago is delightful. The 
mean temperature is 8o° Fahr., but owing to the extensive 
seaboard, the heat is nearly always tempered by a cool sea 
breeze. This is particularly the case in the dry season, 
from December to June. In the wet season, especially 
during the months of August and September, the heat is 
sometimes oppressive owing to the stillness of the moisture- 
laden atmosphere. The rainfall varies very much in 
different parts of the island. In the southern portion it 
does not exceed 60 inches in the year, and land in that 
part occasionally suffers from drought, through its having 
been almost entirely denuded of forest in order to make 
room for the cultivation of the sugar-cane. In the central 
and Windward districts, the rainfall varies from 85 to 95 
inches, and in some parts of the northern district it exceeds 
100 inches. The island is outside the hurricane zone. The 
birth-rate is 24 and the death-rate 19 per 1000, but over 
45 per cent, of the deaths are those of children under five 
years of age. 

HISTORY. It would require many pages to record fully 
the history of Tobago, for the island has changed hands 
more often than any other in the West Indies. It is 
believed that when it was first discovered by Columbus in 
1498, it was an uninhabited island. Some colonists from 
Barbados effected its first settlement in 1625, but there are 
writers who say that the English flag was first hoisted over 
it as early as 1580. In 1628 the island was included in the 
grant made by Charles I to the Earl of Montgomery, but 
the first settlers were attacked by Caribs from the mainland 
or the neighbouring islands, and many were killed, those 
who escaped settling on the island of New Providence. 
Four years later 200 Zeelanders from Flushing landed, but 
within a year they too were driven away by the Indians, 
who were goaded on by the Spanish. In 1642 James, Duke 



240 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

of Courland, sent out two shiploads of settlers, who were 
followed in 1654 by Dutch colonists, collected by two Flush- 
ing merchants, who established themselves on the southern 
coast. A dispute soon arose between the two groups of 
settlers, and in 1658 the Courlanders were completely 
overpowered by the Dutch, who remained in sole possession 
of the whole island until 1662. In that year the Dutchman 
Cornelius Lampsius, one of the founders of their colony, 
was created Baron of Tobago and proprietor of the island 
as a Dutch dependency under title from the Crown of France. 
In 1664 the grant of the island to the Duke of Courland was 
renewed. The Dutch refused to recognise his title, and in 
1666 the island was captured by privateers from Jamaica. 
A small garrison was left, but within a year it was compelled 
to surrender to a few Frenchmen from Grenada, who in 
their turn abandoned the colony in 1 667, leaving the Dutch 
in possession. In 1672 Sir Tobias Bridges, with troops 
from Barbados, broke up the Dutch settlement ; but the 
Dutch returned, only to be defeated by a French fleet under 
Count D'Estrees after one unsuccessful attack in 1677. 
Louis XIV restored the island to the Duke of Courland, 
who in 1682 transferred his title to a company of London 
merchants. In 1748 the island was declared neutral by 
the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. From 1762, when it was 
captured by our forces, to 1781 Tobago was in the hands 
of the British ; but in the latter year the colony capitulated 
to the French under the Marquis de Bouille, and in 1783 
it was ceded to France. Ten years later it was retaken by 
the English, but again restored to France by the peace of 
Amiens in 1802. In 1803, however, it was recaptured by 
Hood, and it was ceded to England in 181 4, since which date 
it has remained a British colony. 

CONSTITUTION. By an Order in Council of October 20, 
1898, it was provided that the island of Tobago should 
become a ward of the united colony of Trinidad and Tobago ; 
that the revenue, expenditure, and debt of Tobago should 
be merged in those of the united colony ; that the debt 
due from Tobago to Trinidad should be cancelled ; that 
(with some specified exceptions) the laws of Trinidad 
should operate in Tobago, and those of Tobago cease to 



TOBAGO 241 

operate so far as they conflicted with the laws of Trinidad ; 
and that all future ordinances of the Legislature of the colony 
should extend to Tobago, with the proviso that the Legis- 
lature should be able to enact special and local ordinances 
and regulations applicable to Tobago as distinguished from 
the rest of the colony. This Order in Council was brought 
into effect from January i, 1899, by a proclamation of the 
Governor issued on December 8, 1898. The post of 
Commissioner, the officer who formerly administered the 
government, ceased to exist, and the post of Warden and 
Magistrate was created. By a Proclamation in 191 3 the 
title of Commissioner was given to the Warden. 

HOTELS. Tobago has no hotels properly speaking ; 
but at Scarborough there are several boarding-houses, 
including Fairfield (f mile from the landing-stage) and 
Peru Cottage, the terms for board and lodging at which are 
Ss. 4-d. per day or according to arrangement. At con- 
venient distances throughout the island there are Govern- 
ment " Rest Houses." Permission to use them can usually 
be obtained from the Commissioner or District Officers. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Tobago has no direct 
steamship communication with the mother country and 
Europe. There is, however, weekly communication be- 
tween the island and Trinidad by the Royal Mail Steam 
Packet Company's steamers Barima and Belize , which 
run once a week from Port of Spain, Trinidad, to Scar- 
borough, and then round Tobago and back to Port of 
Spain, with an extra trip once a fortnight direct between 
Port of Spain and Scarborough to bring the English mail 
(see page 220) . Nearly all the roads were originally made by 
the French during their occupation, and were more remark- 
able for their skilful tracery than for the condition of their 
surface, which left much to be desired. One can now drive 
all over the Leeward district and as far as Charlotteville 
(28 miles), Man-o'-War Bay. A driving- road all round the 
island is now being made, and although the numerous 
bends and occasional watercourses render them rather 
risky for motor-cars, the main roads are quite good for 
two- and four-wheeled carriages and bicycles. The roads 
across the island are driveable for part of the way, and the 



2J r 2 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

bridle- tracks will in time be made into driving-roads. 
Good riding-horses can be hired for 2s. per hour, 6s. per 
day, or £i os. lod. per week ; and dog-carts and buggies 
can be engaged for ios. to 255. per day. 

SPORTS. There is a J awn- tennis club at Burleigh 
Castle, near Scarborough, to which visitors are welcomed. 
Cricket is played by the Tobago Cricket Club. The 
sea bathing is good and may be indulged in with perfect 
safety and without fear of sharks or treacherous currents, 
and the same applies to boating. Fish is abundant in 
river and sea, the most appreciated being snapper, king- 
fish, grouper, and Spanish mackerel. Eels are plentiful, 
and also lobsters, crabs, crayfish, oysters, and several 
kinds of turtle. Deer and game birds are abundant. 
Among the latter is the cocorico, a bird which resembles 
the English pheasant, and is believed to be peculiar to this 
island. Tobago is also visited by migratory birds, in- 
cluding plovers and Ramie pigeons. The birds of plumage 
are superior to those of any of the other islands. Into the 
small island known as Little Tobago, off " Speyside," Sir 
William Ingram, the owner, has successfully introduced 
Birds of Paradise. 

SOCIAL CLUB. The members of the Union Club at 
Scarborough extend hospitality to visitors suitably intro- 
duced. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The little town of Scarborough, 
which succeeded Georgetown as capital in 1769, was 
formerly called Port Louis. It is picturesquely situated at 
the base of a hill 425 ft. high overlooking the harbour of 
the same name, once called Rockly Bay. In 1790 during 
a mutiny of the French Garrison the town was destroyed by 
fire. At the top of the hill is the old Fort King George, 
where the ruins of barracks, military hospitals, &c, remain 
to testify to its former importance. The old barrack 
square is now the radio-telegraphy station, and on the brow 
facing Trinidad stands the lighthouse. A charming view of 
the surrounding country can be obtained from this spot. 
The old Dutch and French forts, the buildings of which have 
long since been levelled to the ground, were quite near by. 
The principal buildings in Scarborough are the Government 



TOBAGO 243 

offices, police barracks, Anglican, Wesleyan, and Roman 
Catholic churches, Court-house, Royal Gaol, and Colonial 
Hospital. 

Government House, where the Governor and Judges 
reside on their periodic visits, is -|- mile from Scarborough. 
The Government Stock Farm, established with the object 
of improving the breed of stock in the island, overlooks the 
harbour. The Botanic Station near the landing-stage 
deserves a visit. It was established on an abandoned sugar 
estate called " Dealfair." 

The Petit Trous Beach, where the races are held, is a 
lovely flat stretch about three miles from Scarborough, and 
quite close at hand a London syndicate prospected for oil, 
of which there are frequent surface indications. 

The expedition to Robinson Crusoe's Cave, 10 miles 
from Scarborough to the west, which is very interesting, 
requires a full day. In this trip may be included the 
BUCCOO Reef, which at low tide is a wonderful storehouse 
of beautiful shells ; the adjoining Lagoon at Bonaccord 
Estate is a favourite spot for boating and fishing. 

A visit to the Mason Hall and Big River Falls to the 
north of the island takes half a day. There are many 
rides which can be enjoyed in the country through romantic 
scenery, and also round the island, halts being made by 
permission of the Warden at various rest-houses en route. 

At a distance of about i| miles from the north- 
eastern end of Tobago is the island of Little Tobago, now 
the property of Sir William Ingram. The rocks in the 
channel between it and the main island are known collec- 
tively as Goat Island. Little Tobago is about a mile 
long and has a total area of about 400 or 500 acres. It is 
clothed with dense tropical vegetation from the water side 
to the summit of its hills, which rise to a height of 490 ft. 
above the sea level. It was into this island that Sir 
William Ingram introduced Birds of Paradise (Paradisca 
apoda) from the Aru Islands, Dutch New Guinea, in 1909. 
The island was once the home of an old hermit named 
Mitchell, who was marooned upon it. The descendants of 
the fowls which he kept are still to be found in the island 
in their wild state. 



244 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Writing of Tobago in 1683, Captain John Poyntz said : 

Thou art here presented with The Present Prospect of the 
Island of Tobago, about forty Leagues distant from Barbadoes ; 
but far excelling that Island, and indeed any other of the Carib- 
bee-Islands, in the Fertility "and Richness of the Soil, and in the 
Commodiousness of its Bays and Harbors : and it is no paradox 
to affirm, That though it lies more south, the Air is as Cool and 
Refreshing as that of Barbadoes : and yet Exempted from those 
affrighting and destructive Hurricanes that have been often 
Fatal to the rest of the Caribbee-Islands. . . . And I am 
perswaded that there is no Island in America, that can afford 
us more ample Subjects to contemplate the Bounty and Goodness 
of our Great Creator in than this of Tobago ; And this, I speak 
not by hearsay, or as one that has liv'd always at home ; but as 
one that has had Experience of the World, and been in the greatest 
part of the Caribbee-Islands, and most parts of the Continent of 
America, and almost all His Majesties Forreign Plantations ; 
And after having view'd them all, have chosen this Island of 
Tobago to take up my quietus est in. 

Though Captain Poyntz, whose object was to attract 
capital to the island, was not guiltless of the fault common 
to most company promoters — that of drawing the long 
bow — it must be admitted that this part of his description 
of Tobago is remarkably accurate. 



CHAPTER X 

THE WINDWARD ISLANDS 

GRENADA 

" Clarior e tenebris " 

The Colony's Motto 

GENERAL ASPECT. Grenada, the most southerly of the 
Windward Islands and the seat of government of that 
British colony, lies in latitude 12 5' N. and longitude 
61 ° 40' W., 90 miles to the north of Trinidad, 68 miles south- 
south-west of St. Vincent, and 100 miles south-west of 
Barbados. It is about 21 miles long and 12 miles broad, 
its total area being 120 square miles, or about half the size 
of Middlesex, and its population 59,864, or 500 to the 
square mile. The island is very mountainous, and is only 
equalled by Dominica for the beauty of its scenery. The 
highest points are Mount St. Catherine, 2749 ft., from which 
spurs branch off, forming valleys of great beauty and 
fertility, Mount Sinai (2300 ft.) and the mountain over the 
Grand Etang (2014 ft.). Along the east and south-east 
coast the mountains gradually slope off to the sea, but on 
the whole of the west coast the mountains run sheer 
down. The island is purely volcanic in its origin, the chief 
centres of eruption appearing to have been in the neighbour- 
hood of Mount St. Catherine and the Grand Etang, a 
mountain lake 1740 ft. above the sea, which undoubtedly 
occupies an extinct volcanic crater. Grenada is abundantly 
watered, being intersected in every direction by streams 
of the purest description. The principal river, the Great 
River, rises near the Grand Etang, and takes a north- 
easterly course, entering the sea to the north of Grenville 

245 



246. POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Bay. The island is divided into six parishes — St. George, 
St. David, St. Andrew, St. Patrick, St. Mark, and St. John. 
The town of St. George's, the capital, which has a popula- 
tion of 4916, is situated on a peninsula towards the southern 
end of the west coast, which shelters an almost land-locked 
harbour known as the Carenage. Grenville, the town next 
in size, is situated at the head of a bay of the same name in 
the middle of the windward coast ; Gouyave stands on 
the shore of an open roadstead on the west coast about 
twelve miles from St. George's ; and at the extreme north 
of the island is the small village of Sauteurs. The roads 
of the island, though good, are of course very hilly. Under 
the Government of Grenada are Carriacou and those of the 
Grenadines adjacent and to the south of it, which are 
administered by a resident Commissioner. Carriacou, 
twenty miles to the north of Grenada, is 8467 acres in 
extent. It is very mountainous, though its hills, which have 
been almost entirely deforested, are lower than those of 
Grenada. There are no streams in the island and the 
water-supply is derived from wells. High North, 980 ft., 
is the highest point, and Chapeau Carre, 960 ft., is the next 
highest. The extensive natural harbour called Grand 
Carenage is famed for its oysters which grow on the roots 
of the mangrove -trees. Grenada's other dependencies are 
Diamond Island, or " Kick-em-Jenny," as it is popularly 
called, Islet Ronde, Les Tantes, Isle de Caille, and Levera, 
Green, Bird, Conference, Marquis, Bacolet, Adam, 
Caliviny, Hog and Glover islands ; while round Carriacou 
there are Petit Martinique — so called because the French 
found snakes there similar to those in its larger namesake 
— Petit Tobago and Saline, Frigate, Large, Mabouya, 
Sandy and Jack Adam islands. " Kick- em- Jenny " in 
particular is generally pointed out to visitors owing to its 
peculiar name, which is probably a corruption of " Cay 
qui gene," the Cay or island which bothers one ; for the 
sea is often very rough in the neighbourhood. 

INDUSTRIES. Grenada is entirely dependent for its 
prosperity on agriculture. Barely enough sugar is pro- 
duced to meet the requirements of the inhabitants, the 
principal article of export being cocoa, the cultivation of 



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GRENADA 247 

which has largely increased in recent years. Except when 
the plants are young very little shade is used in Grenada, 
experience having shown that in this island cocoa does better 
when protected from the wind, but exposed to the full 
sunlight. Otherwise the methods of cultivation resemble 
those followed in Trinidad and elsewhere {see page 451). Spices 
come next in importance, the shipments of nutmegs and 
mace being so considerable in quantity and so excellent in 
quality that the island is often called the " Spice Island of 
the West. ' ' Nutmeg cultivation was first started by the late 
Hon. Frank Gurney on Belvidere — the estate owned by the 
rebel Julien Fedon — in the early eighties, and rapidly spread. 
Coffee, coco-nuts, and kola are also exported, and rubber 
(Hevea) cultivation is steadily increasing. Cloves grow 
luxuriantly, but the knowledge of their preparation for 
market has not yet been imparted to the planter, and conse- 
quently they are not cultivated on a commercial scale. The 
few sugar-works still standing are mainly concerned with the 
manufacture of rum, the local consumption of which 
is about 60,000 gallons annually. Cattle, sheep, and 
horses are bred in the island with success. The soils of 
Grenada are rich, and have been compared with those of 
Java for fertility. In Carriacou the cultivation of cotton 
of the Marie Galante variety has never been abandoned. 
The principal exports in the year 19 12 were as follows : 



Cocoa 
Nutmegs. . 

Mace 

Cotton 


Cwt. 

101,843 

12,21 5 

2,283 

3.395 




Value. 

£225,317 

21,738 

15,041 

9,019 


The direction of trade in the same 


year 


was : 


United Kingdom 
British Possessions . . 


Imports. 
£113.910 
61,947 


•• 


Exports. 

£169,762 

12,421 



Foreign Countries .. 104,018 .. 103,407 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
colony is shown by the comparative table on next page 
giving its revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports, 
for the last ten years : 



248 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 


Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




i 


£ 


1 


i 


1903-4 . 


70,250 


70,101 


2 35,440 


203,565 


1904-5 . 


68,993 


69,509 


256,269 


321,766 


1905-6 


69,954 


71,968 


237,256 


283,955 


1906-7 . 


71,786 


70.379 


223,448 


210,149 


1907-8 


79-871 


68,383 


288,665 


417,289 


1908-9 


73.182 


72,661 


303,783 


359.245 


1909-10 . 


71,224 


73.282 


268,236 


284,846 


1910-11 . 


81,413 


75.561 


279,236 


291,760 


1911-12 . 


98,645 


81,012 


309,227 


264,640 


1912-13 . 


86,393 


84.093 


279,875 


285,590 



CLIMATE. The climate of Grenada is equable and healthy. 
The heaviest rains fall in September and November, but 
the precipitations last on and off from May until the end of 
the year. The average annual rainfall is 80 inches, but 
in the interior it is nearly twice as much. The island is 
practically free from hurricanes, there having been four 
occasions only on which it is known to have been visited 
by gales of hurricane strength. Near the sea-level the maxi- 
mum mean temperature is 90 Fahr., and the minimum 
68° Fahr., but in the mountains it often falls below 6o° Fahr. 
The average birth-rate is 41 and the death-rate only 21 
per 1000. 

HISTORY. It is not known when Grenada received its 
present name, but it was first called Concepcion by Columbus, 
who discovered it in 1498 on his third journey. In 1609 
an attempt was made by a company of London merchants 
to colonise the island, but in less than a year they were 
driven off by the Caribs. The island was- included in the 
possessions of the French Company of the Islands of 
America, and in 1650 Du Parquet, the Governor of Mar- 
tinique, who was a nephew of D'Esnambuc, the first French 
coloniser in the West Indies, having purchased Grenada, 
started for it immediately with 200 men, and, having taken 
formal possession, built a fort there and founded the colony. 
The settlers, who were at first well received, soon quarrelled 
with the Caribs ; but with the aid of reinforcements from 



GRENADA 249 

Martinique, the Indians were exterminated. On the 
northern coast the Morne des Sauteurs is still shown, 
where many of the Caribs leapt into the sea in order to 
escape from their enemies. Du Parquet, now in full pos- 
session of the island, did not find it profitable, and so in 
1656 he sold it to Count de Cerillac for about ^1890. The 
latter appointed as Governor a man " of brutal manners," 
who oppressed the colonists to such an extent that he was 
tried and condemned to be hanged. By pleading that he 
was of noble origin he managed, however, to get the 
sentence altered to one of beheadal, but no skilful exe- 
cutioner being available, he was at last shot at the summit 
of the hill on the Grand Etang road. De Cerillac sold the 
island in 1665 to the French West India Company, and on 
the dissolution of that organisation at the end of the year 
1674 it passed to the French Crown. It remained in the 
possession of France until 1762, when it capitulated to Great 
Britain, to whom it was formally ceded in the following 
year. In 1779 it was recaptured by a French fleet under 
Count d'Estaing, Hospital Hill being stormed and captured 
by a strong force under Count Dillon, but it was restored 
to Great Britain by the Treaty of Versailles of 1783. The 
year 1795 was a critical one in the history of Grenada. In 
it began what was known as the Brigands' War, the notorious 
French republican, Victor Hugues, making a determined 
effort to regain possession of the island by bringing about 
an insurrection of the French inhabitants and the slaves. 
The outbreak began soon after midnight of March 2, when 
Julien Fedon, a coloured planter, entered Grenville with a 
party of rebels and massacred the inhabitants. The 
victims were dragged from their beds and shot in the 
streets, their bodies being mutilated in an atrocious manner. 
Stores were robbed and private dwellings pillaged. Simul- 
taneously an attack was made on Charlotte Town or Gouyave 
by another party, which captured a large number of prisoners. 
The Lieutenant-Governor, Ninian Home, was at his estate, 
Paraclete in St. Andrew's, when news of the disaster reached 
him, and he decided at once to return to St. George's 
by way of Sauteurs. At La Fortune estate he went aboard 
a sloop : but unfortunately for him, on arriving off Charlotte 



2 so POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Town he was fired at from the fort, and seeing at the same 
time several vessels which he took for French privateers 
off Palmiste, as well as canoes at Maran Bay, he deemed 
it best to go ashore. No sooner had he landed than he was 
made a prisoner and marched off to Fedon's headquarters, 
though the captain of the sloop managed to reach St. 
George's in safety. Poor Home was treated with the 
utmost indignity until April 8, when his sufferings came to 
an end and he, with forty-seven other prisoners, was 
massacred while an attack was being made by the British 
on Fedon's camp, the Champ La Mort, Fedon, who was 
enraged at his brother having been killed, himself giving the 
order to fire in each case. It was not until June in the 
following year that the rising was suppressed by Sir Ralph 
Abercromby, who had in the meanwhile assumed the chief 
military command in the West Indies. The entire cost of 
the rebellion was £230,000, and the losses of the inhabitants 
were estimated at £2,500,000 

CONSTITUTION. Grenada is the headquarters of the 
Government of the Windward Islands, which also include 
St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines. Each island 
retains its own institutions, and, when the Governor is 
absent, is presided over by a resident Administrator, who 
is also Colonial Secretary. There is no common legislature, 
and no general laws, revenue, or tariff. There is, however, 
a common Court of Appeal, which was constituted in 1859. 
and consists of the Chief Justices of the several islands and 
of Barbados. The colonies have united for sundry other 
common purposes. A common audit system was instituted 
in 1889. Grenada has an Executive Council, and a Legisla- 
tive Council consisting of six official members, besides the 
Governor, and seven unofficial members nominated by the 
Crown. 

Governors of the Windward Islands since 1897 
Sir C. A. Moloney, K.C.M.G. . . . 1897 



Sir Robert Llewelyn, K.C.M.G.. 
Sir Ralph Williams, K.C.M.G. . 
Sir James Hayes Sadler, K.C.M.G., C.B. 



1900 
1906 
1909 

1914 



GRENADA 251 

HOTELS. St. George's. The Home Hotel in Young 
and Monckton Streets, within fifty yards of the wharf, is 
clean and comfortable. It is built in the Italian style, 
with rooms opening on to galleries overlooking a courtyard, 
and it has a ballroom and a billiard saloon. The tariff of 
charges is quite moderate — Rooms, light, and attendance 
2s. 6d., board and lodging 85. <\d. per day. At the Douglas 
Hotel in Government Street, near the Anglican Church, the 
charges are about the same. At the Grand Etang there is 
a Government Rest House and a small Sanatorium con- 
ducted by the proprietors of the Home Hotel. The tariff 
of charges is the same as that at the hotel — Breakfast 
2s. 6d., luncheon is. to 25. 6d., dinner 3s. The principal 
building at the Quarantine Station (twelve bedrooms and one 
sitting-room) can be rented by approved persons when not 
in use, — 65. for the first day and 3s. for each subsequent day 
not exceeding a fortnight. Grenville. The "Nest" is 
the only hotel in St. Andrew's Parish (charges as above). 
Gouyave. The Gouyave Hotel is well spoken of. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Grenada is served 
by the steamship companies numbered 1, 7, 13 and 14 
{see pages 14 to 27). The steamers go alongside the 
wharf at St. George's. The Home Hotel has livery 
stables, where horses and carriages can be obtained. 
Tariff : Single-horse carriage to seat two persons, 25s. per 
day ; pair-horse carriage to seat three persons, 305. per day. 
For the trip to the Grand Etang the charge for a carriage 
is £1 os. lod. each person, or to boarders at the hotel, 
125. od. The minimum charge for a single-horse carriage 
for one person is 4s. per hour, for two persons 6s. per hour, 
and for a pair-horse carriage for three persons 8s. per hour. 
Good saddle horses can be obtained for ,85. per day, or by 
boarders, 6s. per day. 

A mail coach plies regularly on week days between 
St. George's and Grenville via St. David's Court House. 
Fare, 55. each way. 

Under contract with the Government a coastal steamer 
of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (agents : Martin, 
Dean & Co., Young Street) plies daily between Sauteurs 
(7 a.m.), Victoria (7.45 a.m.), Gouyave (8.30 a.m.), and 



252 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

St. George's (10 a.m.), returning from St. George '-s at 
1.30 p.m., except on Monday, when the hour is 4 a.m., on 
Thursday when it is 12 noon, and on Friday, when it 
leaves at 2.30 p.m. On Saturday the steamer returns from 
Sauteurs to St. George's, arriving there about 7 p.m. 

There is also a service twice weekly between St. George's, 
Requin Bay (St. David's), and Grenville by steamer leaving 
St. George's at 7.30 a.m. on Tuesday for Requin (9.30 a.m.) 
and Grenville (12 noon), and on Thursday at 8.30 a.m., 
calling at Gouyave, Victoria, and Sauteurs en route. The 
steamer leaves Grenville at 8 a.m. on Wednesday for 
Requin and St. George's (12.30 p.m.), and on Friday at 
5.30 a.m., calling at Sauteurs, Victoria, and Gouyave. On 
Saturday a steamer leaves for Requin at 7 a.m., reaching 
there at 9.30 a.m. and returning at 12 noon. 

A steamer plies weekly between St. George's and Carriacou 
(6 p.m.), leaving St. George's on Thursday (12 noon) and 
calling at Gouyave, Victoria and . Sauteurs en route, and 
returning from Carriacou on Friday. This steamer con- 
nects at Hillsborough with a mail boat from St. Vincent 
via the Grenadines. Time and fares : 

FROM ST. GEORGE'S 



To 


Hours. 


First Class. 


Second Class. 


Single. 


Return. 


Single. 


Return. 


Gouyave 

Victoria 

Sauteurs 

Carriacou 

Requin 

Grenville 


3* 
6 

2* 


5. d. 

2 

3 

4 
6 6 

3 
6 


5. d. 

3 

4 6 
6 

10 
4 6 
9 


5. d. 
1 

1 6 

2 6 

4 
1 6 

3 6 


s. d. 

1 6 

2 6 

3 6 
6 
2 6 
5 3 



SPORTS. The Grenada Cricket Club has a very pic- 
turesque ground a quarter of a mile from St. George's, where 
cricket and lawn-tennis are played. At Grande Ance Bay, 
which is reached by boat in fifteen minutes from the 



GRENADA 




*^l£f *&!Ai SAO* 

^ sa <o sj '4 W, IS te h 4 



A Plan of the Carenage, Grenada, in the Year 1700 
This plan, which is reproduced from the " Nouveau Voyage 
aux Isles de 1'Amerique," by Pere Labat, shows at E the site of 
the original French town Port Louis, on a strip of land extending 
across the mouth of the lagoon, which was then a lake, and is 
now an arm of the sea. 



254 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Carenage, there is a fine stretch of sandy beach, from 
which the bathing is perfect, while a delightful freshwater 
douche can be indulged in at the " Spout " in the Carenage. 
The roads are too hilly for cycling to any extent. Boats 
can be hired at the Carenage. The sea fishing is good, and 
the rivers can be fished for mullet, brochet, sard, and mud- 
fish. The natives use avocado pears, green grasshoppers, 
red bananas, and sometimes worms and cockroaches as bait. 
The Grenada Race Club, founded in 1895, holds annual 
meetings on a course at Grande Ance, and the St. Andrew's 
Racing Club (1897) holds flat races periodically. Rifle 
shooting is encouraged by the St. George's Rifle Club, 
founded in 1907. 

SOCIAL CLUBS. The St. George's Club, which was 
opened in 1888 and faces the Carenage, is very hospitable 
to visitors. Close to it there is a Public Library and Read- 
ing-Room open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on week days and 
on Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m., where the latest periodicals can 
be seen and books can be borrowed on payment of a shilling 
per quarter. The Grenada Club, in premises adjoining 
the Home Hotel, is also very hospitable. At Grenville 
there is the St. Andrew's Club, which was opened in 1901. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The inner harbour of St. 
George's, which is called the Carenage from its having been 
in the old days a favourite place for careening ships, is 
exquisitely beautiful. Obviously of volcanic origin, it is 
almost surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills densely 
clothed with tropical vegetation. The entrance is exceed- 
ingly narrow and was formerly commanded by the guns of 
the Fort St. George at the south-western extremity of the 
promontory of the same name on the west, and Monckton's 
Redoubt on the east. Over the promontory straggles the 
picturesque town of St. George's, the red roofs of the houses 
forming an agreeable contrast to the rich green of the 
tropical foliage. On the eastern side of the Carenage is the 
" Ballast Ground." It was on a strip of land at the foot 
of this cliff and extending across the mouth of a sheet of 
water known as the Lagoon, then a lake of brackish water but 
now an arm of the sea, that the original French settlement, 
Port Louis, stood (see page 253) . On the lower hills round 




THE PROMONTORY OF ST. GEORGE S, GRENADA 

At the end of the promontory is the historic Fort George 




PART OF ST. GEORGE'S, GRENADA 

The picturesque and sun-flooded " Bay Town 



GRENADA 255 

the Carenage is a chain of frowning forts — dismantled, it is 
true, for many years, but looking all the same very menacing. 
Beyond them rise mountains to a height of from two to 
three thousand feet, while in the foreground the deep blue 
of the water, dotted with the trim little white sloops which 
ply to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, completes a charming 
picture. 

On November 18, 1867, a very remarkable occurrence 
took place in the Carenage. Between 5 and 5.20 p.m. 
the water suddenly subsided about 5 ft., exposing a reef, 
and the water over the " Green Hole," a spot between the 
Spout, the old watering-place for ships, and the opposite 
place on the north began to bubble furiously and to emit 
sulphurous fumes. The sea then rose 4 ft. above its usual 
level and rushed up to the head of the Carenage. This was 
repeated several times, and the Green Hole, which was very 
deep, was completely filled up. The wave rushed up the 
northern coast as far as Gouyave, and at Dougaldston the 
bridge at the mouth of the river was covered and the cane- 
fields inundated. Seismic phenomena were witnessed at 
the same time in St. Thomas and Little Saba. 

The town of St. George's (population 4916) was estab- 
lished by the French during the governorship of M. de 
Bellair in 1705, when it was called Fort Royal. It received 
its present name during the administration of Governor 
Robert Melville (1764 to 1771), when an ordinance was 
passed which provided for the substitution of English for 
French names. St. George's is divided by a ridge or saddle 
of the hill crowned by three churches — Anglican, Roman 
Catholic, and Presbyterian ; but the two parts described 
by Bryan Edwards as Carenage Town and Bay Town are 
now connected by a tunnel pierced at the instance of the 
then Governor, Mr. (afterwards Sir) Walter Sendall, whose 
name it bears. Lady Sendall ignited the first charge for its 
excavation by electricity, and the tunnel was completed in 
1895. The western approach is called Bruce Street after 
Sir Charles Bruce, Governor from 1893 to 1897. 

The Post Office, the Public Library (first opened in 
1846) and the Government Buildings are situated on the 
wharf, adjacent to the public landing-place. At the Library 



256 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

an interesting old map by M. de Caillus, " Engineer-General 
of the American Islands and Terra Firma," can be seen. 
It shows the position of the town and fort erected in 1705-6 
and of the old capital Port Louis. The premises of the 
St. George's Club are also on the Carenage next to the 
Public Library and Government Offices. It was founded 
in 1888, and has at present a membership of about eighty. 
The chief local office of the Colonial Bank is in Government 
Street. The Royal Bank is in Young Street. 

The Parish Church of St. George's contains a well- 
executed marble monument by Westmacott with medallions 
on either side, which was erected in 1 799 by the Legislature 
of Grenada to the memory of Lieut. -Governor Ninian 
Home and the other inhabitants who were massacred during 
the insurrection on April 8, 1795, as well as to Captain 
Rogers and the officers and privates who lost their lives in 
the rebellion. It was in the rectory that Captain Marry at 
resided. 

Fort George, at the south-western extremity of the 
"promontory, was erected in 1705-6 from the designs and 
under the direction of M. de Caillus, and has long since been 
abandoned for military purposes. The view from it of the 
inner harbour or Carenage on the one side and the bluff 
leeward coast on the other, with part of the town of St. 
George's at the foot, renders it an excellent point of vantage 
for votaries of the sketch-book or camera. Since the 
withdrawal of the garrison the military barracks in the 
vicinity have been utilised as the Colony Hospital. The 
old Ordnance Store is now the Yaws Hospital, where 
patients suffering from the distressing complaint known as 
Yaws (Frambassia) — now curable by salvarsan — are treated. 

The St. George's Market, which is a few minutes' walk 
from the Carenage over the hill or through the Sendall 
Tunnel, is well worth a visit on Saturday during market 
hours. The Hamilton Almshouse, in Lucas Street, is a 
model of what such institutions should be. 

The Botanic Station, which owes its inception to 
Dr. (now Sir) Daniel Morris, is situated at the foot of 
Richmond Hill, only five minutes distant by boat from 
St. George's. They were established in 1886, since which 



GRENADA 257 

year they have made rapid progress. Many valuable 
trees have been planted and the gardens have a nursery 
for the growth and distribution of plants. Beyond 
them is the Quarantine Station, a favourite resort for 
picnics. 

At Grand Ance Bay (a row of about 15 minutes from 
the wharf ; fare is. per person), to the south of St. George's, 
there is a stretch of sandy beach from which the most 
delightful sea-bathing can be enjoyed. The Government 
have provided a landing-stage, and the use of a bathing 
house can be had for a charge of \d. per head. A second 
bathing house is reserved for the use of members of a local 
bathing club. Another favourite bathing-place is at the 
Spout, where ships watered in the old days. Here a 
fresh water douche can also be enjoyed from the old 
pipe-line. 

Government House stands on the hillside overlooking 
the town and harbour. The view from the terrace is 
unsurpassed. On the Governor's reception day visitors 
are always made welcome. A road with an easy gradient 
leads to the Hospital Hill Forts on a plateau 400 ft. 
high adjoining the town on the north. Here the British 
under Sir George (afterwards Lord) Macartney made a 
brilliant stand against the French under Count d'Estaing in 
July 1779. The entire force of the island did not exceed 540 
men, who, on the approach of the enemy, entrenched them- 
selves at the summit of the hill. Here they were invested 
by d'Estaing at the head of no fewer than 3000 men who, 
however, only succeeded in carrying the lines after losing 
300. The garrison retired to Fort St. George, where they 
were bombarded by the guns from Hospital Hill, which they 
unfortunately omitted to spike, and compelled to surrender. 
From Richmond Hill (20 minutes by carriage from St. 
George's along a good driving road), a long ridge 800 ft. 
high, on which was the headquarters of the troops when 
Grenada were garrisoned, a splendid view of the town and 
Carenage can be obtained. The hill, which was purchased 
by the local Government for £20,000 in the latter half of 
the eighteenth century, is studded with several forts which 
aire now used by Government institutions. The old military 



258 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

buildings in Fort Matthew have been converted into the 
lunatic asylum of Grenada and St. Vincent, while the 
adjacent barracks are now the Poor Asylum and Hospital 
for Incurables. The forts were begun by the French in 
1780 on the land of Fort George estate, the property of 
Hon. William Lucas, and completed by the British, who 
compensated the former owner, in 1784. 

A favourite excursion from St. George's is that to the 
Grand Etang (Large Pond), a large circular fresh- water lake 
2.\ miles in circumference, 14 ft. deep, and 1740 ft. above the 
level of the sea (6| miles from St. George's). The road is 
good, and the drive through cocoa and provision grounds and 
a wealth of tropical vegetation is a pretty one. The lake 
undoubtedly occupies the crater of an extinct volcano, like 
the larger Lake Antoine in the north-east of the island. The 
Grand Etang is approached by a macadamised path from 
Government Rest House and a picturesque little Sanatorium 
near by. The latter, which is let to whoever cares to take it, 
is an ideal spot for a rest cure. It is connected with the tele- 
phone system of the colony. A river skiff can be hired on the 
lake for a moderate fee. By creeping through immense 
tree-ferns from 5 to 6 ft. high near the Rest House, one 
can see the spot where his Majesty King George V, then 
Prince George, and his brother Prince Albert Victor were 
entertained, on January 29, 1880, in " a pretty sort of 
at fresco hall erected of bamboo and palm leaves," when 
they visited the West Indies in H.M.S. Bacchante. What 
was then a clearing is now densely overgrown with bush ; 
but a beautiful view can be had from it of Grenville Bay 
on the eastern or windward side of the island, whence much 
produce is shipped. Not far from the lake is the mountain 
known as the Morne Fedon, formerly called the Vauclain 
Mountain, where the Lieutenant-Governor Ninian Home 
and forty-seven other white persons were massacred by 
rebels led by Julien Fedon, a coloured planter, in 1795, 
during the insurrection stirred up by Victor Hugues. 
Fedon's camps were situated on three spurs of Mount St. 
Catherine, and were called Champ La Liberte, Champ 
L'Egalite, and Champ La Mort. The plateau, on which a 
commemorative pillar has been erected by the Government, 



GRENADA 259 

can only be visited in the dry season, and is approached by 
a narrow winding path. The pillar is inscribed : 

SITE 
OF 

fedon's 

CAMP 
1795 

Mr. John Hay, who narrowly escaped sharing the fate 
of the Governor, gave in his " Narrative of the Insurrec- 
tion " (1823) the following account of the closing scene in 
the tragedy : 

The prisoners, who had been let out of stocks, were imme- 
diately ordered in, the door locked, and the whole guard put 
under arms. Soon after the attack became more general, a 
voice was heard, saying, " The prisoners are to be shot. ..." 
The guard was drawn up very near the prison, at the distance 
of not more than four or five paces. They appeared very much 
agitated, trembling with impatience, and some seemed to have 
their guns cocked. A few prisoners called out " Mercy ! " No 
reply was made. Others, who were not in stocks, were on 
their knees praying. Not a word was exchanged among us ; 
we all knew an attack from that quarter must fail of success,' 
which would not only prolong our misery, but endanger our 
lives. The door was opened ; two men appeared with hammers 
to take the prisoners out of stocks. Those who were not in 
confinement were ordered to go out. ... He [Fedon] began the 
bloody massacre in presence of his wife and daughters, who 
remained there, unfeeling spectators of his horrid barbarity. 
He gave the word Feu himself to every man as soon as he came 
out ; and, of fifty-one prisoners, only Parson M'Mahon, Mr. 
Kerr, and myself were saved. 

At Charlotte Town, or Gouyave (population 2332), on the 
leeward coast, about twelve miles to the north of St. 
George's by road, or a journey of 1^ hours by coastal steamer 
{see page 25 1 ), a nourishing system of peasant proprietorship 
can be seen in operation. Attempts have been made in the 
other islands to settle the people on the land, but nowhere 
have they proved so successful as in Grenada. The leeward 
coast is very beautiful, and recalls to mind the Italian 
Riviera. The land breaks off abruptly in bluff headlands 
which, however, unlike those on many parts of the Italian 
coast, are densely covered with verdure. Four miles to 
the north is Victoria, or Grand Pauvre (population 1591), 



2<5o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

in St. Mark's Parish, built on the shore of an open bay. 
Eight miles farther is Sauteurs (pron. Soteers ; population 
1 1 88), reached by coastal steamer (see page 251) in three or 
four hours. It is of interest as being the scene of the mas- 
sacre of Carib Indians, of whom a number, pursued by the 
French under Le Compte, rushed up a narrow and difficult 
path known to them alone, and threw themselves over the 
edge of a cliff (Le Morne des Sauteurs, or The Leapers' Hill) 
overlooking the bay, in 1650. The French, who only lost 
one man, then set fire to the cottages and rooted up the 
provisions of the Caribs, and, having destroyed or taken 
away everything belonging to them, returned, as Du Tertre 
naively describes it, " bien joyeux." From Sauteurs Lakes 
Antoine and Levera, which occupy the craters of extinct 
volcanoes, can be visited. 

Those interested in antiquities can inspect stones 
sculptured by the Caribs at Mount Rich in St. Patrick's 
Parish, and near the town of Victoria. 

Grenville or La Baye standing on low-lying and swampy 
land near the beach of a large bay on the east of the island 
in St. Andrew's Parish is the town next in importance to 
St. George's. The town is to the north of the site of the 
older one of the same name, that was the scene of the 
outbreak of the rebellion of 1795 which is described above. 
Grenville Bay is protected on the north by Telescope Point, 
which forms part of Telescope estate. 

Overlooking the town is Pilot Hill, on the summit of 
which is a signal station and the residence of the port pilot. 

Post Royal, about two miles south of Grenville, was a 
rebel outpost during the Brigands War. Its stubborn 
defence was ended by a brilliant charge of the Buffs under 
Brigadier- General Campbell. At one time Post Royal was 
the leading shipping and trading point on the windward 
coast. At Marquis, near by, the ruins of the old Parish 
Church can be seen. 

At Point Salines, the south-western extremity of 
Grenada, is a lighthouse presented by the late Hon. C. 
Macaulay Browne and G. G. Browne, Esq., with the 
buildings and adjacent land, in memory of their late 
father, James Browne, Esq., a leading merchant. 



GRENADA 261 

A visit to a Cocoa and a Spice Estate should on no account 
be omitted. If the visitor is not furnished with letters of 
introduction from England— which it is always desirable to 
have — he should seek the advice of the proprietor of the 
Home Hotel, who will always be found very willing to help. 
Some particulars regarding cocoa cultivation will be found 
in the chapter devoted to West Indian Industries. The 
nutmeg industry being principally identified with Grenada 
may be dealt with here. The nutmegs (Myristica fragrans) 
are sown 2 or 3 feet apart and the young trees begin to 
flower, or " declare "as it is termed locally, in about four to 
six years. The trees are either male or female, the former 
" declaring " first. When the females " declare," they are 
planted out at distances varying from 15 to 30 feet apart, 
the male trees being distributed evenly between them. In 
about fifteen years the trees are well established and 
require little attention, as weeds, &c, do not grow under 
nutmeg shade. When full sized the trees yield no fewer 
than 5000 nuts each per annum. When gathered the 
nutmegs are covered with a scarlet lace-like substance, 
which when dried in the sun becomes the " mace " of 
commerce. The nuts themselves are dried in a current of 
air and afterwards in the sun. The hard shell is then broken 
with a wooden mallet and the kernels are sorted according 
to size and packed in barrels for shipment. 

A visit to Hillsborough (population 238), the chief town 
in Carriacou, can easily be made in a day by the coasting 
steamer. In the Grand Carenage, next to Harvey Vale 
Bay at the south-west of the island, Carriacou has a fine 
natural harbour. The view of St. Vincent and the Grena- 
dines from the new hospital, on the site of an old military 
station at Belle Vue, is very striking. A fine view can also 
be obtained from the Government Rest House on High 
North. 



262 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 
ST. LUCIA 

" Statio hand malefida cavinis " 

The Colony's Motto 

GENERAL ASPECT. St. Lucia, which lies in latitude 
1 3° 50' N. and longitude 6o° 58' W., about 20 miles to the 
south of Martinique and 30 miles to the north-east of St. 
Vincent, has a total area of 233 square miles, being rather 
smaller than Flintshire. Its greatest length is 42 miles, 
its greatest breadth 21 miles, and its population 49,205. 
St. Lucia is volcanic, and consequently very mountainous. 
The scenery throughout the island is truly magnificent. 
The main range of mountains, of an average height of 1500 
feet, runs north and south nearly the whole length of the 
island, buttressed by numerous ridges branching off from 
it, gradually sloping down to the sea on either side, and 
leaving narrow fertile valleys between them. The flattest 
parts of the island are at Gros Islet, at the extreme north- 
west, and Vieux Fort, at the south-east, where the backbone 
ceases, giving place to a plain. The Canaries Mountain 
(3140 ft.), near the centre of the island, is the highest point, 
and the most mountainous part is on the leeward side of 
the island, in the neighbourhood of the Soufriere, a volcano 
the crater of which is about three acres in extent. Though 
this is now quiescent, there are still many traces of volcanic 
activity in the island, in the form of hot springs and sulphur. 
To the south of Soufriere Bay the two conical mountains 
known as the Pitons, or the Peaks, form prominent land- 
marks, the grandeur of which is unequalled throughout 
the West Indies. They rise to a considerable height, which 
is emphasised by their isolation, the Gros Piton being over 
2619 feet high and the Petit Piton 2461 feet. 

St. Lucia has several rivers, including the Cul de Sac and 
Roseau rivers on the leeward side and the Dennery, Trou- 
massee and Canelles on the windward side. Castries, the 
capital, is situated on the western coast about nine miles 
from the northern end of the island. It stands at the head 
of a sheltered bay rather more than a mile in length, which 
forms a safe and convenient harbour. Near the north of 



ST. LUCIA 263 

the island, and also on the leeward side, is Gros Islet on a 
bay, over which, at a distance of half a mile, the small but 
historic Pigeon Island stands sentinel. The second town of 
the island in size is, however, Soufriere, situated on the bay 
of that name. 

INDUSTRIES. In spite of its great fertility, fully one- 
third of St. Lucia is still covered with forest, and, as an 
agricultural island, it requires development. The balance 
of uncultivated land is principally in the hands of the 
Government, who are anxious to dispose of it to settlers 
at from 105. to 20s. per acre, with very easy terms of pay- 
ment. A few European settlers have in recent years been 
attracted to the island as cocoa and lime planters, and are 
already doing well. Sugar-canes, cocoa, coffee, nutmegs, 
limes and coco-nuts thrive in St. Lucia, and the appliances 
for the manufacture of sugar are modern, there being no 
fewer than four large central sugar factories there. In 
recent years limes {Citrus acida var. medico) have been 
extensively planted, and the local lime industry promises 
to prove one of great value and importance. At Castries 
a Government factory for crushing limes for small growers 
was erected in 191 3. Castries is an important mercantile 
coaling station, a fact to which St. Lucia owes its com- 
mercial importance, and a large section of the community 
makes its livelihood by coaling steamers. It is claimed 
that in consequence of this coaling business St. Lucia now 
occupies the thirteenth position among the ports of the 
Empire from the point of view of the extent of the shipping 
which visits it. With a view of retaining and improving 
this position new lights have been recently erected at the 
south of the island and at the entrance to the harbour. 

The principal agricultural exports in the year 1912-13 
were as follows : 



Sugar 

Cocoa 

Rum 

Molasses 

Logwood 

Cotton 

Limes 





Value. 




i 


4,407 tons 


50,439 


9,573 hags 


43,°99 


39,109 gallons 


2,607 


12,545 „ 


508 


— 


6,000 


4,800 lbsj 


109 


— 


1,025 



264- POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

The direction of trade of the colony in 191 2-1 3 was as 
follows : 

Imports. Exports. 

United Kingdom . 24 per cent. . 20 per cent. 

British Possessions . 8 ,, . 7 <••■„ 

Foreign Countries 68 ,, . 72 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
colony is shown by the following comparative table of 
its revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports for 
the last ten years. From these figures it will be seen how 
largely St. Lucia is dependent upon its coaling industry : 











Exports. 


Year. 


Revenue 


Expen- 
diture. 


Imports. 


















General. 


Bunker 
Coal. 


Total. 




i 


£ 


£ 


£ 


£ 


£ 


1903-4 


66,009 


70,692 


351,086 


105,983 


63,506 


169,489 


1904-5 


69,272 


65,508 


370,706 


101,449 


70,581 


172,030 


1905-6 


61,877 


62,521 


285,986 


109,027 


102,626 


211,653 


1906-7 


60,012 


60,294 


242,470 


114,617 


105,696 


220,313 


1907-8 


67,351 


64,840 


310,309 


122,021 


142,381 


264,402 


1908-9 


65,694 


65,038 


289,775 


150,380 


102,288 


252,668 


1909-10 


65,740 


64,446 


266,228 


134,920 


115,754 


250,674 


1910-11 


65,066 


67,288 


277,207 


122,094 


116,861 


238,955 


1911-12 


71,979 


69,329 


318,590 


120,150 


152,951 


273,101 


1912-13 


66,293 67,824 


3*5,3 61 


121,404 


166,312 


287,716 



CLIMATE. The climate of St. Lucia though humid is 
quite suited for Europeans, and is at its best from December 
to May. The rainy season extends from June to November. 
Storms and hurricanes are of rare occurrence. The average 
temperature varies from 72 Fahr. to 90 Fahr., the coolest 
month being February, and the hottest July. The nights 
are always cool at elevations over 500 ft. The rainfall 
is between 80 and 100 inches per annum. The birth-rate 
is 34 and the death-rate 20 per 1000. 

HISTORY. St. Lucia, formerly called St. Alousie or St. 
Alouziel, derives its name from the fact that it was dis- 



ST. LUCIA 265 

covered by Columbus on St. Lucy's Day, 1502. Its 
possession was a constant source of dispute between France 
and Great Britain, the former basing her claim to it on a 
grant by Richelieu to a French West India Company, and 
the latter on the grant of the Caribbee Islands made by 
Charles I to the Earl of Carlisle. Though the Dutch are 
said to have visited the island and built a fort there at an 
earlier date, the English undoubtedly formed the first 
settlement in St. Lucia. The crew of the Oliph Blossom e, 
after visiting Barbados, called there in 1605 ; and in 1638 
settlers from Bermuda and St. Kitts, under the command 
of Captain Judlee, landed in the island ; but they had 
trouble with the natives, who killed their Governor and, 
smoking them out by burning red pepper, drove them from 
the island. In 1650 Houel and Du Parquet bought St. 
Lucia with Grenada and Martinique for ^1660, and sent 
forty settlers to it under Rousselan, who married a Carib 
woman, thereby establishing cordial relations with the 
natives. On his death, however, they murdered three of 
his successors before the treaty of 1660 was settled, securing 
the Caribs from interference in Dominica and St. Vincent 
on condition of their keeping the peace elsewhere. In 1664 
Lord Willoughby sent 1000 Barbadians to the island, 
defraying their expenses out of the 4J per cent, export duty 
which for many years was a grievance in Barbados. The 
French were overpowered ; but, owing to sickness and 
native wars, the colonists had by 1666 evacuated the island. 
A new French West India Company took over the island, 
and in 1667 St. Lucia once again became a French colony. 
In 1 71 8 a grant of St. Lucia was made to Marshal d'Estrees, 
who sent out an expedition to colonise the island ; but the 
English remonstrated, and no effective settlement resulted. 
Four years later the island was granted by George I to the 
Duke of Montague, who also sent out a strong body of 
colonists, and an ineffective effort was made by Captain 
Uring to effect a settlement in the teeth of a French force 
from Martinique. It was agreed that both nations should 
evacuate the island, only visiting it for the purpose of 
securing wood and water until some definite decision was 
arrived at. In 1748 the island was declared by the Treaty 



266 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 
of Aix-la-Chapelle to be neutral. St. Lucia capitulated to 
the forces of Admiral Rodney and General Monckton in 
1762, but it was restored to France in the following year 
by the Treaty of Paris. When war broke out with France 
in 1778, Rodney impressed upon the Government the 
necessity of taking St. Lucia, which he regarded as an ideal 
naval base, and a powerful body of troops was landed at 
Grand Cul de Sac Bay. Count d'Estaing, who opposed 
them with a strong force, was beaten off, and until the end 
of the war the island remained British, in spite of an attempt 
to recapture it in 1781 ; and it was from Gros Islet Bay, at 
the north-east of the island, that Rodney sailed with his 
fleet and inflicted a decisive defeat on Count de Grasse 
between Dominica and Guadeloupe on the memorable 
April 12, 1782, a description of which will be found on page 
348. St. Lucia was restored to the French by the Treaty 
of Versailles which followed, and under Governor Laborie 
its agriculture and commerce underwent rapid development. 
During the French Revolution the Maroon negroes gave 
great trouble. The island was designated by the Convention 
" The Faithful," but in 1794 Admiral Jervis, afterwards 
Lord St. Vincent, took it, the Morne Fortune being captured 
on April 4 in that year by the Duke of Kent, the father of 
Queen Victoria ; it was, however, recovered by Victor 
Hugues, the French republican, who was a friend of Robe- 
spierre, in 1795. Abercromby and General, afterwards 
Sir John, Moore, the hero of Corunna, were sent out to 
subdue St. Lucia, and though the health of the General, who 
was appointed Governor, broke down, the work begun by 
him was successfully completed by Colonel Drummond. 
Once more, however, St. Lucia was restored to France at 
the Peace of Amiens in 1802 ; but when war broke out in 
the following year the Morne Fortune was again stormed, 
St. Lucia was taken, and in 1814 it was finally ceded to 
Great Britain. 

CONSTITUTION. The Government of St. Lucia, which 
forms part of the British Windward Islands colony, is now 
conducted by an Administrator (who is subordinate to the 
Governor of the Windward Islands), aided by the Executive 
Council. The Legislature consists of the Administrator and 



ST. LUCIA 267 

a Council, composed as the King may direct. At present 
it consists of five official and five unofficial members. 

Administrators since 1900 

Sir H. L. Thompson, K.C.M.G. 1900 

Sir George Melville, K.C.M.G. 1902 

P. C. Cork, C.M.G. 1905 

E. J. Cameron, C.M.G. 1909 

Douglas Young, C.M.G. 191 3 

HOTELS. Castries. La Filiate, kept by Mrs. Myers, 

is the principal hotel, and Miss Dupigny and Mrs. Rogers 
keep select boarding-houses. Some very comfortable and 
healthily situated officers' quarters, vacated by the troops, 
in the suburbs of Castries, can be leased (unfurnished) at 
from ^3 to ^5 per month. The cost of living and servants' 
wages are decidedly low. Soufriere. The Star Hotel, kept 
by Mdlle. Asterie, is recommended. An excellent meal 
can be obtained at La Reine. If notice is given, modest 
sleeping accommodation can also be provided. At Choiseul, 
Laborie and Vieux Fort moderate accommodation can be 
secured on giving timely notice, and excellent meals can be 
obtained. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. St. Lucia is served 
by the steamship companies numbered 1, 7, 8, 10, 13 and 19 
in the list on pages 14 to 27. Steamers go alongside the 
wharf and there is no landing charge. 

The principal roads of the island are fairly good and 
are quite suitable for light-wheeled traffic in the agricul- 
tural districts. In the interior, travelling is done on horse- 
back. Carriages can be obtained at Kirton's livery stables 
in Castries. The tariff is moderate, being : for driving 
about Castries, 2s. per seat per hour ; out of Castries, 3s. ; 
Gros Islet (7 miles), 8s. per person ; the Morne and back, 
round drive, 5s. 6d. per person. As the resources of the 
establishment are limited, early application should be made. 
Riding-ponies may be hired at the same establishment and 
other places at reasonable rates. There are good driving 
roads from Castries to the Morne and to Gros Islet. The 
riding roads are numerous and quite good. In the Soufriere 



268 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

quarter the main driving road from Soufriere to Vieux Fort 
is in good order ; so too — -for light vehicles — is the road from 
Vieux Fort to Micoud. 

A coasting steamer of the Royal Mail Steam Packet 
Company leaves Castries each day at i p.m., reaching 
Soufriere at 2.30 p.m., Choiseul at 3.30 p.m., Laborie at 
4.30 p.m., and Vieux Fort at 5 p.m. It starts back at 
6 a.m. next morning, reaching Laborie at 6.30 a.m., Choiseul 
at 7.30 a.m., Soufriere at 8 a.m., and Castries at 10 a.m. 
The hours, which are given to indicate the time required, 
should be verified locally, and tickets obtained from Messrs. 
Minvielle and Chastanet, the local agents. Fares : 



From 


Time from 
Castries. 


First 
Cabin. 


Second 
Cabin. 


Castries to Soufriere 
,, Choiseul 
,, Laborie 

Vieux Fort . 


Hours. 

3i 

4 


s. d. 

2 

3 

3 6 

4 


s. d. 
1 
1 6 

1 9 

2 



Sailing-boats may also be hired, with their crews, at 
reasonable rates. 

SPORTS. There is a good cricket ground at Victoria 
Park, a ten minutes' walk from Castries, with a cricket and 
lawn-tennis club, and there is also a good court at Govern- 
ment House. The St. Lucia Racing Association holds two 
meetings a year at " Choc," about three miles from Castries, 
the principal races taking place early in March. Some 
fair sea fishing — including tarpon — can be obtained from 
boats and from rocks all round the coast ; this form of 
sport is more pleasant in the evening or night than during 
the day. A little river fishing is also obtainable with a 
light rod and ground-cockroaches for bait, the principal 
fish being small river mullet which weigh about half a pound. 
Cul de Sac and Soufriere rivers are the most easily accessible, 
the fishing being somewhat better in the latter. There is 
some pigeon and dove shooting to be had in the forests 



ST. LUCIA 269 

and in the Vieux Fort swamps, but for the former sport 
it is necessary to sleep near the feeding-grounds of the birds, 
as they feed in the early morning and late afternoon. 
Permission from the riparian owners should always be 
obtained beforehand. Sea-bathing may be obtained from 
Castries by crossing the harbour in a boat to Vielle Ville, 
and then walking a hundred yards to Choc Bay. 

SOCIAL CLUB. The Castries Club, situated near the 
wharves, is well appointed and extends a welcome to visitors 
provided with proper introductions. Visitors may also 
become members of the public library and reading-room, 
at the corner of Bourbon and Micoud Streets facing Columbus 
Square, for a nominal subscription. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The harbour of Castries, which 
is almost land-locked, is one of the safest and prettiest in 
the West Indies. With an entrance scarcely more than 
a third of a mile across, it forms an admirably sheltered 
haven, and the visitor to it can at once appreciate why 
Rodney set such store by its capture before our wooden 
walls were replaced by steel. On entering, Tapion rock, 
on which is a battery and a light, with the breezy and 
romantic heights known as the Morne Fortune * beyond 
(800 ft.), is seen on the right, while on the left is the 
promontory called the Vigie ("look-out") on which elabo- 
rate barracks had just been completed when the decision 
to withdraw the troops from the West Indies was arrived 
at in 1905. On a plateau, or terrace, at the west end of the 
Morne, 437 feet above the sea-level, the Union Jack floats 
over Government House, the residence of the Administrator. 

At the head of the harbour are the Botanical Gardens, 
which now adorn what was once a reeking swamp, and to 
the south of them can be seen the steeple of the Anglican 
Church. 

The town of Castries (population 6266), so called by 
Baron de Laborie, Governor in 1784, after Marshal de 
Castries, the French Colonial Minister of the day, stands 
at the top right-hand corner of the harbour. During the 
earlier days of English occupation it was known as Carenage, 

* In the French islands and in those which have been French 
the hills are mostly called " Monies." 



2 7 o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

and in 1 794 it was called the Faithful by the Revolutionary- 
party for a short time. The port enjoys the advantage 
over most others in the West Indies of having modern 
wharves, so that steamers are able to come alongside and 
discharge passengers and cargo without the intervention 
of boats. Castries is an important coaling station. As 
at Nagasaki in Japan, the work of coaling is carried on 
almost entirely by women, and it is interesting to watch 
them swinging up the gangway with baskets of coal on 
their heads while keeping up an incessant fire of chaff and 
enlivening themselves by singing chanties. 

Castries presents no features of exceptional interest. 
The Post Office is in the Prince Alfred Building — so called 
after the late Duke of Edinburgh. A fine new Public Works 
Department Office has recently been erected in the old 
Army Commissariat Yard on the sea front. The Ad- 
ministrator's Office is opposite the police barracks at the 
beginning of the Morne Road. The Colonial Bank is at 
the far corner of the fourth block on the right in Bridge 
Street. The Cable Office is situated at the corner of 
High and Bridge Streets. 

The Roman Catholic Church in the middle of the 
town is worth inspection. It faces Columbus Square — 
a grass plot of over three acres in extent, surrounded by 
broad walks and shaded by trees, which was formerly the 
Place d'Armes. The church is constructed of stone and 
iron in pseudo-Romanesque style and can seat 3000 people. 
The architect was Father Ignatius Scoles, a priest from 
Demerara who is said to have been a pupil of Pugin. The 
Anglican Church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, stands 
at the north corner of the town adjoining the Botanical 
Gardens, which deserve a visit. It was built in 1832 and 
consecrated by Bishop Parry in 1843. The chancel was 
added in 1895. Protestantism was first set up in St. Lucia 
in 1 819, and the Protestants, some four hundred in number, 
were taxed to provide funds for the erection of the church. 
From 1824 to 1870 the church was endowed by the State 
to the extent of ^400 per annum. 

Government House, on a plateau at the west end of 
the Morne, is approached by a good driving road from 



ST. LUCIA 271 

Castries. It is a handsome building erected in 1895 at a 
cost of ^8800, from the designs of Mr. C. Messervy, the 
then Colonial Engineer. The situation is now perfectly- 
healthy ; but there was a time when yellow fever raged 
there, and Breen in his " St. Lucia " tells how during a 
period of little more than four years, from November 1829 
to January 1834, no fewer than four Governors died in the 
Pavilion, as the Governor's residence on this spot was then 
called. He tells, too, how the parsimonious General 
Farquharson, the Governor in 1832, dislodged the Bishop 
of the diocese and his suite, whom he was not disposed to 
entertain. " My lord," he said, " perhaps this is the first 
time you have visited Government House : come with me 
and I'll show you the apartments. I suppose your lord- 
ship has heard of the insalubrity of this place : every room 
in the house has already witnessed the death of some 
Governor ; but none of them has had the honour of killing 
a Bishop : so my lord you have only to make your selection ; 
I leave you to the embarras de choix." It is hardly neces- 
sary to add that His Grace at once ordered his horse and 
left precipitately. By an irony of fate it was General 
Farquharson himself who died of fever in the house in 1834. 

The view from the terrace on which Government House 
stands, though not so extensive as that afforded by the 
Morne, which shuts out the mountains to the south, is 
quite enchanting. Far below lies Castries basking in the 
sun. To the north of the town is the harbour, on the far 
side of which is the Vigie and Vielle Ville. Beyond the 
promontory is Choc Bay and the much indented coast- 
line with Pigeon Island in the distance at the entrance to 
Gros Islet Bay. To the eastward are the Paix Bouche 
ridge of mountains and the Sorciere, and to the west is 
Toe Bay. 

The road beyond Government House takes one to the 
summit of the Morne Fortune (20 minutes' ride from 
Castries). The expedition is well worth making, not only 
on account of the historic associations of the spot; but 
also because of the magnificent view. In the eighteenth 
century the Morne was the scene of much fighting, and it 
was upon it that Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and great- 



272 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

grandfather of King George V, hoisted the British Colours 
on April 4, 1794, when the island was captured from the 
French by Vice- Admiral Sir John Jervis and Lieutenant- 
General Sir Charles Grey. It was, too, from its works that 
the French republicans were driven by Brigadier- General 
John Moore, afterwards Sir John Moore, the hero of Corunna, 
two years later. 

The Morne now looks peaceful enough ; but truth to 
tell it presents a most melancholy appearance. Its officers' 
quarters are deserted, its barracks empty, and even its 
former tennis courts are rapidly becoming overgrown 
with bush. But the glorious view still remains and well 
repays the ride. It is more extensive than that obtained 
from the terrace of Government House, including as it does 
the superb mountain ranges of the interior, a long stretch 
of the coast-line to the south, and the summits of the 
Pitons in the distance. 

The Vigie (i hour's drive from Castries or 5 minutes' 
row by boat across the harbour) is scarcely less full of 
historic associations than the Morne. Probably the most 
desperate righting which it witnessed was in 1778, when we 
captured St. Lucia from France. The lines of English, 
who, under General Meadows, had entrenched themselves 
there, were, on February 18 in that eventful year, stormed 
by 5000 men under d'Estaing, Lowendahl, and de Bouille. 
Says Breen : 

As the columns approached the position of General Meadows, 
they were enfiladed by the batteries on the other side of the 
Carenage, and suffered severely. They nevertheless rushed to 
the assault of the lines with impetuous bravery. The coolness 
and grimness of the defenders were, however, more than a match 
for the impetuosity of the assailants. Not a shot was fired by 
the British till the columns were at the foot of the entrenchments. 
One destructive volley was then poured in, and the French were 
received at the point of the bayonet. The struggle was long and 
terrible. At last the French were driven back with heavy 
slaughter : seventy of them are said to have fallen within the 
works at the very first onset. In spite of this fierce repulse 
they paused only to rally and recover breath ; and then hurried 
back with undiminished fury. The second conflict was no less 
violent than the first: it terminated in the same manner. 
Though their ranks were sorely thinned by this double discom- 
fiture, they were induced to make a third charge ; but they had 



ST. LUCIA 273 

no longer that ardour which originally inspired them. They 
were speedily broken, overwhelmed, and scattered in complete 
and irretrievable disorder. ... So great a slaughter has seldom 
taken place in so short a time. 

The Gun Pits on both sides of the harbour head may 
be visited. They embodied many modern improvements 
in this class of fortification, but are now overgrown by 
bush. Those on the Vigie are reached by a walk of half 
a mile from Vielle Ville, which is accessible by boat. 

Country Excursions 

The Cul de Sac Valley, with its central sugar factory, 
is about one hour's ride or drive from Castries. The route 
lies past the historic Morne Fortune (see page 271). It was^in 
Grand Cul de Sac Bay that Brigadier- Generals Meadows and 
Prescot landed on December 13, 1778, with 5000 men from 
twelve transports, and it was here that a desperate encounter 
took place a few days later between the English and French 
Fleets under Admiral Barrington and Count d'Estaing, 
which resulted in d'Estaing being driven back in confusion. 
The Cul de Sac sugar factory is especially well worth a visit 
in the months from January to April, when sugar and rum 
are being made. It is situated half a mile from the carriage 
road, but may be reached on horseback. The valley is 
accessible for some five miles inland by riders, but not 
by carriages, and it communicates with the Goldsworthy 
Road, which leads across the central ridge to Deunery, 
called after Count D'Ennery, Governor in 1768 and formerly 
known as L'Anse Canot, in the fertile Mabouya Valley 
and the eastern side of the island. The gradient of the 
Goldsworthy road is very slight, and where the Trace, 
as it is called, crossed the main ridge or Bar de l'isle it is very 
fine, though capable of considerable improvement. At 
present the road is not suited for wheeled traffic ; but 
it may be safely ridden. The Castries end of it begins at 
Trois Pitons, where it descends into the Cul de Sac Valley. 
It then follows the valley and crosses the main ridge near 
Piton Lacombe and descends into the Mabouya Valley, 
near the Pilet District. The distance from Castries to 
Dennery by the Trace is sixteen miles, and the ride takes 



274 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

four hours. A shorter route, effecting a saving of four 
miles, is by the Barabara, an extremely steep descent by 
zigzags between the main ridge and Mabouya Valley, which 
can be ridden in three hours. Dennery also has a central 
factory. The Roseau Valley and Sugar Factory are 
about three miles farther than the Cul de Sac factory, or 
seven miles from Castries (i J hours' ride). 

Perhaps the prettiest ride near Castries is that to Piton 
Flor, about five miles from the town along a steep road, 
(one to one and a half hours there and same time back) : 
the scenery in this direction is magnificent. This road 
also leads to Dennery. With a good pony it is possible to 
cross the main ridge by the Piton Flor Road, and return by 
the Golds worthy Road and Cul de Sac Valley (5 to 6 
hours for the round trip) ; but the ride is a trying one 
of more than 20 miles, and there are no refreshment 
houses on the way ! A less fatiguing outing, but one 
through less picturesque scenery, is the drive past the race- 
course to the little fishing- village of Gros Islet, at the 
north of St. Lucia (3 hours there and back). It was here 
that d'Estaing anchored and landed his forces in 1778, after 
the defeat at Grand Cul de Sac. 

The historic Pigeon Island can be reached by canoe 
across a narrow strip of water from Gros Islet or direct 
from Castries by boat. The former is the preferable route 
and it takes about an hour, while by boat the journey is 
somewhat longer. Pigeon Island, which is about one and 
a half miles in length and about half that extent in breadth, 
consists of two hills, on the smaller of which Fort Rodney 
is situated. From the parapets of this fort, Rodney watched 
the movements of the French fleet off Martinique, prior 
to the great battle of April 12, 1782, in which he achieved 
his decisive victory over de Grasse {see page 348). 

When time allows, a trip to Souiriere by the coasting 
steamer is well worth taking, the scenery in this district 
being exquisite, and the sight of the sulphur springs, with 
their hissing and boiling cauldrons of black water, sur- 
rounded by a dangerous zone of heated ground on which 
sulphur and alum are being constantly deposited, is a unique 
experience for many travellers. Some of the cocoa estates 



ST. LUClA 275 

at Soufriere are also interesting, and nutmegs, cloves, cinna- 
mon, vanilla, oranges, coffee, and rubber may also be seen 
in cultivation there. The Ventine Sulphur Springs are half 
an hour's drive from Soufriere. This is a very charming 
and secluded spot, where invalids suffering from rheumatism 
and many other disorders have benefited greatly by the use 
of the warm sulphur baths. The several boiling springs are 
also well worth seeing. The hot springs and mineral waters 
were celebrated in former days for their medicinal properties, 
which resemble those of Aix-les-Bains. Baron de Laborie, 
the French Governor, had them analysed in 1784, and so 
favourable was the report upon them that Louis XVI 
granted a substantial sum of money for the construction 
of baths and the requisite buildings " for the use of his 
Majesty's troops in the Windward Islands." In the subse- 
quent wars, however, the thermal establishment was 
destroyed. An attempt was made by Governor Sir Dudley 
Hill to restore the baths in 1836 : but it failed as he was 
unable successfully to establish a claim to the land. From 
Soufriere, the small steamer proceeds to Choiseul (formerly 
L'Anse Citron, but since the Peace of 1763 called after the 
famous Minister, the Due de Choiseul, through whose efforts 
the island was secured to France). Laborie, the next 
port of call, is a charmingly picturesque village, which 
owes its name to Baron de Laborie, the very popular 
Governor in 1784. The steamer stays for the night at 
Vieux Fort, returning to Castries next morning. 

At Vieux Fort, where the first sugar works were estab- 
lished in the island in 1765, there is another spacious 
central factory, and the extension of the trip to this place 
gives the visitor an opportunity of passing round the base 
of the two conical mountains known as the Pitons, or the 
Peaks, which form prominent landmarks on the leeward 
coast. Some writers have stated that the Gros Piton 
resembles the main peak of the Canigou, near Aries in the 
Pyrenees ; but unlike the St. Lucia peaks, that mountain 
is quite destitute of verdure and rises to a far greater height. 
It is certainly not unlike the Pic du Midi. The Gros Piton 
is said to be 2619 feet high, the Petit Piton 2461 feet. The 
Gros Piton is comparatively easy to ascend, but, until 



276 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

1878, the smaller Piton was unconquered by man. In 
that year, however, a Mr. Lompre succeeded in gaining 
its summit, and it was ascended in 1885 by Mr. Charles 
de Brettes, who two years later conducted the then Chief 
Justice, Dr. John W. Carrington, and a party to the summit. 
The start was made from the western extremity, which 
was reached by clambering over the rocks. The party 
began the ascent at 6.22 a.m. and at 7.15 reached the Grande 
Ravine, a deep gorge running into the mountain. Thence 
the line of march lay more along the side of the mountain, 
and they worked their way gradually round to the shoulder 
which stands out clearly on the north-western face. A 
deep ravine having been crossed, the projecting point of 
the shoulder was reached at 9.40 a.m. (1640 ft.), and a 
splendid view of Soufriere obtained. Shortly after travers- 
ing the shoulder, which runs nearly level for 200 or 300 feet, 
a perpendicular rock 20 feet high had to be scaled, and for 
some distance there was a stiff bit of climbing to be done. 
All obstacles were, however, surmounted, and at 11.40 a.m. 
the Union Jack floated on the summit, which was found 
to be a small oval plateau, 70 feet long by 40 wide. The 
return journey was begun an hour later, and the rocks 
again reached by 6.45 p.m. Local tradition relates that 
years ago four English sailors tried to climb the highest 
Piton. They were watched from below through a telescope, 
until one after the other disappeared. Half-way up one 
fell, a little higher another dropped, and then a third. It 
was supposed that they fell victims to the deadly Fer-de- 
lance snake, which once infested St. Lucia. 

At Vieux Fort a vehicle can be hired for the drive to 
Micoud by the high road, which runs in an easterly direc- 
tion. The drive has now been rendered easy by the 
bridging of the rivers, the last bridge to be erected being one 
over the Troumassee River at the entrance to the village. 
Micoud, which is delightfully situated facing the Atlantic, 
owes its name to Baron de Micoud, Lieutenant-Governor on 
several occasions between 1769 and 1776. 

Between St. Lucia and Martinique there stands an isolated 
rock, which rises sheer out of the water off the south coast 
of the latter island. No Englishman can gaze upon it 



ST. LUCIA 277 

without a feeling of pride, for it is the historic Diamond 
Bock which, during the war with France in 1803, was 
garrisoned by the crew of a British cruiser, who, by means 
of ropes, hauled their guns to its summit and defied then- 
adversaries. Hood, seeing that the French ships escaped 
him by running between this rock and the Pointe du Dia- 
mant, laid his seventy-four, the Centaur, close alongside 
the Diamond, made a hawser fast to the ship and to the 
top of the rock, which is accessible on the leeward side, 
and slung with a traveller three long 24's and two 18's to 
the summit, the sailors looking " like mice hauling a little 
sausage. Scarcely could we hear the Governor on the top 
directing them with his trumpet ; the Centaur lying close 
under, like a coco-nut shell to which hawsers are affixed." 
Here Lieut. J. W. Maurice, with 120 men and boys, and 
ammunition, provisions, and water, remained for nearly 
eighteen months. From this commanding position they 
harassed the French fleet until June 1, 1805, when, through 
want of powder, they were compelled to surrender to a 
French squadron of two seventy-fours, a frigate, a corvette, 
a schooner, and eleven gunboats, upon which they inflicted 
severe loss, wounding seventy men and destroying three 
gunboats, while they themselves lost only two men killed 
and one wounded.* 

In spite of its size, great natural beauty and historical 
associations, less has been heard of St. Lucia than of 
many of the neighbouring islands ; but for those possessed 
of capital, youth and energy, it affords abundant openings. 
The withdrawal of the garrison in 1905 was a severe blow, 
but it may prove a blessing in disguise if it leads to the 
development of the agricultural resources of the island. In 
view especially of the rapid growth of the lime industry it is 
already probable that the name of St. Lucia will before 
long become more widely known in commercial circles. 

* An account of the gallant defence of the Diamond Rock 
is given in " West Indian Tales of Old." London : Duckworth 
and Co. 



278 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

ST. VINCENT 

" Pax et justitia " 

The Colony's Motto 

GENERAL ASPECT. St. Vincent, which lies in latitude 
13 io' N. and longitude 6o° 57' W., 30 miles to the south- 
west of St. Lucia, and 97 miles west of Barbados, is 18 miles 
in length and 1 1 in width at its broadest part, and comprises 
an area of 140 square miles, being, as Grenada is, about 
half the size of Middlesex. Its estimated population is 
52,592, while those of the Grenadines which are its dependen- 
cies have a population of 3901. The whole of the island 
is of volcanic origin, and, like St. Lucia and Grenada, it 
has a backbone of thickly wooded mountains running 
from north to south. At the northern end of the range is 
Soufriere, a volcano 3500 ft. high, the eruption of which in 
May 1902 devastated nearly one-third of the island and 
caused a terrible loss of life, 2000 persons being killed. The 
southernmost point is Mount St. Andrew, 2600 ft. high, 
which dominates the Kingstown valley. Spurs branch off 
from this range on each side, breaking the island up into a 
series of valleys. On the north-east side there is a more 
level tract of land called the Carib country, which formed 
part of the lands reserved to the Caribs by the treaty of 
1773. This was formerly quite the most fertile sugar- 
producing district in St. Vincent. All cultivation on it was, 
however, destroyed by the volcanic eruption, and the 
freshwater "Carib" canal was filled up, and it is only 
recently that the canal has been restored and agricultural 
operations resumed. The streams in the island are numerous 
though small, the principal being the Union or Argyle River 
on the windward side, and the Warrawarou at the south. 
On the eastern side of the island is the Rabacca or dry 
river, which except in flood time is of very small volume, 
having been choked by the volcanic eruption of 1812. The 
island is divided into five parishes : St. George, Charlotte, 
St. Andrew, St. David, and St. Patrick. Kingstown 
(population 4547), the capital of the island, stands in 
Charlotte Parish at the head of Kingstown Bay, an in- 



ST. VINCENT 



279 



dentation of about three-quarters of a mile deep on the 
south-west coast. It was formerly protected by a formid- 
able battery on the South or Cane Garden Point, and the 
imposing Fort Charlotte on the north-west. Most of the 
Grenadines, a chain of islands lying between St. Vincent 
and Grenada, are dependencies of St. Vincent, the largest 
which fall under this category being Bequia, 9 miles from 
Kingstown (4422 acres), Mustique, 18 miles from Kings- 
town (1257 acres), with Balliceaux — a corruption of belles 
oiseaux — and Battowia near by ; Canouan, 25 miles from 
Kingstown (1694 acres) ; Mayreau, 37 miles from Kingstown 
(600 acres), and Union Island, 40 miles from Kingstown 
(2600 acres). It was to Balliceaux that the Caribs were 
removed prior to their deportation to Ruatan. 

INDUSTRIES. For many years St. Vincent was one 
of the least prosperous of the British West Indian colonies, 
owing to the lack of an industry to take the place of sugar 
cultivation, which was ruined by the foreign sugar bounties. 
Arrowroot is now the staple of the island, and this industry 
is supplemented by the cultivation of Sea Island cotton, for 
the growth of which St. Vincent is particularly well suited. 
Sugar, rum, molasses, cocoa, and spices are also produced 
on a small scale 5 

The principal exports in the year 191 2 were as follows : 

Value. 



Arrowroot 


3,948,681 lbs. 


i 

. 48,854 


Cotton 


4Si.95o - 


34,024 


Cotton Seed 


1,285,200 ,, 


3,363 


Sugar 


398,419 j. 


2,647 


Cocoa 


224,535 .. 


4,366 


Live Stock 




, 3,586 


The direction of trade in : 


[912 was : 






Imports. 


Exports. 




1 


i 


United Kingdom 


54,895 


76,874 


British Colonies 


42,180 


31,469 


Foreign Countries 


32,067 


3.341 


FINANCIAL POSITION. 


The financial 


position of the 



colony is shown by the comparative table overleaf of 
its revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports, 
for the last ten years : 



280 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 


Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




% 


% 


i 


1 


1903-4 . 


26,516 


28,115 ! 


77.853 


38,174 


1904-5 . 


28,266 


26,515 


74.238 


51,902 


1905-6 


26,900 


25,911 


69,097 


53.078 


1906-7 


26,031 


24,650 


78,008 


83,755 


1907-8 


28,456 


24,653 


96,554 


94,265 


1908-9 


3*,395 


27,200 


113,713* 


94.739* 


1909-10 . 


28,440 


31.331 


87,810 


88,698 


1910-11 . 


30.125 


3°.343 


97.737 


101,180 


1911-12 . 


34,852 


33.735 


110,926 


118,625 


1912-13 . 


38,088 


33.993 


129,142 


111,684 



CLIMATE. The climate of St. Vincent is healthy and 
particularly enjoyable in the winter months. The wet 
season lasts from August to November, when the weather 
is hot and damp, though not necessarily unhealthy. The 
average rainfall amounts to 100 inches. The temperature 
varies from 6o° Fahr. to 88° Fahr., the nights being always 
cool. The island is sometimes visited by hurricanes, 
but warning of their probable approach is always given. 
The Soufriere volcano is, happily, now quiescent. The 
birth-rate is 33, and the death-rate of the island as low as 
18 per 1000, a figure which speaks volumes for the 
healthiness of St. Vincent. 

HISTORY. St. Vincent was discovered by Columbus 
on St. Vincent's Day in the Spanish Calendar, January 22, 
1498, and to this fact it owes its name. At the time of its 
discovery it was inhabited by the warlike Caribs, in whose 
hands it remained until 1627, when a grant of the island 
was made to Lord Carlisle. In 1660 St. Vincent was 
declared neutral, but eight years later Lord Willoughby 
arranged a treaty by which the Caribs acknowledged them- 
selves to be subjects of the King of England. No definite 
colonisation was, however, effected, and St. Vincent subse- 
quently became a refuge for Caribs from the neighbouring 
islands. At the end of the seventeenth century there were 
two distinct races of these Indians in the island, the yellow 



ST. VINCENT 281 

and the black Caribs, the former being of the original stock 
and the latter largely of West African origin, being the 
descendants of shipwrecked slaves who fled to the forests 
and married Caribs. These black Caribs became eventually 
the predominant race. In 1722 St. Vincent was granted 
by George I to the Dnke of Montague, who sent out a 
strong body of colonists, but the French demanded that 
the island should remain neutral, and their protests were 
recognised by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. St. 
Vincent was captured by Monckton in 1762, and British 
colonisation proceeded, the General obtaining a grant of 
4000 acres in Charlotte Parish, which he subsequently 
sold for ^30,000. The division of lands gave rise to many 
disputes, and the Caribs refused allegiance to the King. 
Consequently, troops were introduced from North America, 
and after some desultory fighting a treaty was concluded 
through the exertions of Major-General Dalrymple in 1773, 
by which the Caribs acknowledged the supremacy of the 
British, being granted in return the large tract of land 
referred to above in the north of the island. It extended, 
according to the terms of the treaty, from the River Byera 
to point Espagnole on the one side, and from the River 
Auilabou (Wallibou) to Espagnole on the other side. 
In 1779, during the course of the war between France and 
England, which had begun in the preceding year, St. Vincent 
was surrendered to the French, but it was restored to Great 
Britain in 1783 by the Treaty of Versailles. During the 
French Revolution in 1795 the island was overrun by the 
Caribs under Chatoyer and Duvalle, who were assisted by 
the French in what was called the Brigands War. They 
burnt the cane-fields, plundered the houses, and murdered 
many of the colonists, who were confined to Kingstown. 
This state of affairs continued until June 1796, when 
Sir Ralph Abercromby suppressed the rising, and the 
bulk of the Caribs were deported to the island of 
Ruatan, in the bay of Honduras. Their lands were 
revested in the Crown by an Act of 1804, two years 
prior to which year occupancies during his Majesty's 
pleasure of 5262 acres had been granted to different persons 
actually engaged in the war as a reward for their services. 



282 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

CONSTITUTION. St. Vincent, one of the group of 
Crown Colonies known as the Windward Islands, has an 
Executive Council and a Legislative Council. The latter 
consists of official and unofficial members nominated and 
appointed by the Crown. In the absence of the Governor 
of the Windward Islands, the Administrator presides over 
the two Councils. 

Administrators since 1889 

Captain I. C Maling, C.M.G. 1889 

Colonel J. H. Sandwith, C.B. 1893 

H. L. Thompson, C.M.G. 1895 

Edward J. Cameron, C.M.G. 1901 

The Hon. C. Gideon Murray 1909 

HOTELS, Kingstown. Linley Hotel and Crichton Hotel, 
both in Bay Street — Rooms, light, and attendance, 6s. 6d. 
and 85. <\d. per day, or £6 5s. and £8 6s. 8d. per month. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. St. Vincent is served 
by the steamship companies numbered 1, 7, 13 in the list 
on pages 14 to 27. The boat fare from the steamer to 
shore, and vice versa, is 6d. each way. Baggage, 3d. per 
package. There are three livery stables — Alex. Fraser's 
(Bay Street), G. P. Bullock's (Grenville Street), and W. 
Grant's (Middle Street) — and an order by telephone from 
the police barracks, opposite the landing-stage, brings 
riding-horses or single or double buggies in a few minutes. 
Riding animals can be had from 4s. 2d. upwards, and buggies 
from 65., according to time and distance. Rowing-boats 
to visit the leeward parts of the island, or for sea-fishing 
excursions, can always be obtained at reasonable rates at 
the landing-stage. 

SPORTS. Cricket is played in the Victoria Park, and a 
game can generally be enjoyed by visitors. There is a lawn- 
tennis club with courts in the Government Office grounds, 
to which visitors are admitted. The St. Vincent Golf 
Club has a nine-hole course on the Carenage 3 J miles 
from Kingstown, which can be reached by a good driving 
road or by boat. Visitors are admitted on payment of is. 
per day. Sea bathing can be indulged in at several spots, 



ST. VINCENT 283 

notably off the Villa estate, about two miles from Kings- 
town. Good deep-sea fishing is obtainable off Kingstown and 
other places near by, and suitable tackle can easily be hired. 

SOCIAL CLUBS. The Kingstown Club founded in 1891, 
with premises in James and Middle Streets, welcomes 
visitors who are introduced by members. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Kingstown, which nestles at the 
foot of the mountains at the head of a magnificent bay on 
the south-west of St. Vincent, is one of the most picturesque 
spots in the West Indies. Froude likened it to a Norwegian 
town, with its houses along the shore painted in the same 
tints of blue or yellow or pink as those in Norway, with the 
same red-tiled roofs, the trees coming down the hill-sides 
to the water's edge, villas of modest pretensions shining 
through the foliage, with the patches of cane-fields, the 
equivalent in the landscape of the brilliant Norwegian grass. 

The Government Offices, the Post Office (Egmont 
Street), and the Colonial Bank (Halifax Street) are 
within a stone's throw of each other near the centre of the 
town, and Government House (built in 1886), the residence 
of the Administrator, is at the back of the town above the 
Botanic Garden, on the left-hand side looking from the 
harbour. It is a tradition — and probably nothing more — 
that the mango tree in Government Office yard is one of 
the original trees brought to St. Vincent by Captain Bligh 
in 1793 (see page 285). The Kingstown Free Library in 
Halifax Street has an interesting collection of Carib stones, 
the implements and weapons used by the early inhabitants. 
The building was the gift of Mr. Andrew Carnegie, and 
was opened in 1909. Those interested in the Carib relics 
should inspect the Carib Altars, of which there are six or 
more in the island,' including those on Villa Estate, and at 
Barouallie, Layou, Iambou, and Petit Bordel. 

St. George's, the Cathedral Church of the united 
Parishes of St. George and St. Andrew, and until 1881 the 
Parish Church of these two parishes, which are divided in 
Kingstown by the North River, is reached by a walk of 
almond-trees, many of which are eighty years old. There 
are three fine lancet windows in the chancel presented by 
the widow of Lieut.-Governor Dundas, d. 1880, and sup- 



284 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

posed to have been the work of Kempe. The remains of 
the Governor lie under the chancel floor. The Bronze 
Chandelier hanging in the nave is said to have been pre- 
sented by George III. The nave has many interesting 
tablets, some on the walls and others on the floor. Among 
the latter, is one to Sir John Campbell, of Adnamurchan, 
Lieut.-Governor 1845, dated 1853 ; while on the north wall, 
the memory of Sir Charles Brisbane, Rear-Admiral of the 
Red, the victor of Curacao in 1807, who was Governor from 
1808 until his death in 1829, is perpetuated. Other tablets 
perpetuate the memory of Peter Beckett (1789), Major 
Champion, of the 2 1 st Royal Scots Fusiliers, who was assas- 
sinated at Fort Charlotte in 1824, and Alexander Leith, who 
killed the Carib Chief on Dorsetshire Hill in 1795 during the 
Brigands War. In the cemetery surrounding the Cathedral 
is a monument to the memory of his late Excellency 
William Leyborne Leyborne, " Captain-General, Governor 
and Commander-in-Chief of H.M. Southern Caribbean 
Islands, Chancellor and Vice- Admiral of the same," who 
died April 16, 1775, aged thirty -one. Several monuments 
are erected to men of the 70th, now the 2nd Bn. East Surrey 
Regt., who died of yellow fever at Fort Charlotte. The 
church, which is open from 6a.m. to 6 p.m., was rebuilt in 
1820, at a cost of ^47,000, towards which ^5000 was contri- 
buted by the Government out of the proceeds of the sale of 
the Carib lands. 

The Thompson Home. The Thompson Home, a few 
minutes' walk from the landing-stage, was established by 
Lady Thompson, the wife of the then Administrator, after the 
hurricane of 1898, for the relief of destitute ladies. 

A visit should certainly be paid to the well-kept Botanic 
Garden, which is prettily situated in a small valley just 
below Government House and adjoining Montrose Estate. 
It is less than a mile distant from the landing-stage, and 
is approached by a good driving road, which passes the 
Colonial Hospital, a well-appointed building with three 
blocks, and, higher up, arrowroot and Sea Island cotton 
plantations. An arrowroot mill is also to be seen, which, 
when working, is of great interest. Here the roots of the 
plant known to scientists as Maranta arundinacea are 



ST. VINCENT 28$ 

reduced to a fine pulp, which is washed — an essential being 
the use of extremely pure water — and then strained. The 
water with the arrowroot in suspension is then allowed to 
flow slowly along flat and shallow troughs, and the starch 
— as it is now called — settles at the bottom. At the close 
of the day's work the arrowroot is dug out and dried. It is 
then packed in barrels and tins for export. 

The Botanic Garden, which was established as far back 
as 1763, when it was, curiously enough, under the control of 
the Secretary for War, is the oldest institution of its kind 
in the West Indies, and probably in any part of the New 
World. It was in order to supply it with specimens of the 
bread-fruit tree (Artocarpus incisa) that the Bounty sailed 
to the South Seas under Captain William Bligh in 1787, when 
the crew mutinied, many eventually settling on Pitcairn 
Island. However, owing largely to the exertions of Sir 
Joseph Banks, the President of the Royal Society, supported 
by the representations of the West India Committee, who 
offered a substantial reward, a second ship, the Providence, 
was fitted out, and in January 1793, Captain William Bligh, 
accompanied by Captain Nathaniel Portlock, of H.M. brig 
Assistant, arrived, and landed a large portion of his valuable 
cargo from Otaheite in the South Seas at St. Vincent, 
including 530 choice and curious plants of various kinds 
in a most flourishing condition. The mango and cinnamon 
were forwarded to the garden from Jamaica, into which 
island they were introduced by Lord Rodney in 1782, the 
clove was brought from Martinique in the year 1787, 
and the nutmeg- trees from Cayenne in 1809. In 1820 the 
Government decided to give up the garden, and in 1822 
it was transferred to the local Government, which for a 
time ceased to cultivate it in 1849. Very many of the 
old and rarest trees were destroyed by a cyclone on 
August 6, 1886, and a severe hurricane in 1898 did still 
further damage ; but sufficient beautiful trees and plants 
remain to render the garden exceedingly attractive. It 
also contains a large collection of plants of economic interest, 
besides those of an ornamental nature. It is one of the 
institutions under the control of the Imperial Department 
of Agriculture for the West Indies, and it serves as an 



286 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

efficient centre for the propagation and distribution of 
important industrial and other plants to local planters. 
To visitors from temperate climes, trees and plants, such 
as arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea), banana (Musa sapien- 
tum), cannon-ball (Couroupita guianensis), cinnamon (Cin- 
namomum zeylanicum), cocoa (Theobroma Cacao), clove 
{Eugenia caryophyllata), black pepper (Piper nigrum), 
bread-fruit (Artocarpus incisa), india-rubber trees (Hevea 
brasiliensis, Ceara, Castilloa, &c.), mango (Mangifera 
indica), mahogany (Swietenia Mahagoni), nutmeg (Myris- 
tica fragrans), pine-apple (Ananas sativus), teak (Tectona 
grandis), traveller's tree (Ravenala madagascariensis), 
vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), and various palms and ferns, 
can scarcely fail to be of interest. One old tree (Spachea 
perforata) is the only specimen of its kind at present known 
to botanists. A mahogany tree planted by Princess Marie 
Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, who visited the island in 
1 91 3 as guest of the Administrator, is also pointed out. 

Victoria Park. Victoria Park is an extensive open space 
surrounded by private residences at the west end of the town, 
where cricket and football are played and athletic sports are 
held periodically. 

The Government Central Sea Island Cotton Ginnery is 
situated within five minutes' walk of the landing-stage, and 
should certainly be visited. It is one of the best of its kind 
in the West Indies, being capable of ginning and baling 
upwards of 4000 lb. of cotton lint per working day of nine 
hours. The rate charged to planters for ginning and 
baling is id. per lb. Large quantities of seed cotton are 
also purchased on a profit-sharing basis from the peasantry. 
On application to the manager of the ginnery, visitors 
can always obtain permission to be shown over the building. 
Work is usually in progress from December to May. St. 
Vincent grows the finest Sea Island cotton in the world, 
and shipments have realised as much as 2s. Sd. per lb. of 
lint ; there is, therefore, an additional interest attached 
to this ginnery, which deals with nearly two-thirds of the 
island's crop. Adjoining is the Grammar School in the 
grounds of the Agricultural Experiment Station, with exten- 
sive and well-laid-out grounds and experimental plots. 



ST. VINCENT 28/ 

There is aiso a small Stock Farm attached to it, where 
pedigree animals are kept. At this station pupils of the 
Grammar School and special agricultural pupils receive 
instruction in practical agriculture and applied sciences. 
Visitors can inspect it on application to the headmaster and 
the Assistant Agricultural Superintendent. The Market is 
amusing during the busy hours in the early morning. 

An extremely comprehensive view of a large part of the 
island, with its picturesque mountains and valleys covered 
with rich tropical vegetation, can be obtained from Mount 
St. Andrew (2600 ft.), the mountain which dominates 
Kingstown, and is the final elevation of the backbone 
of mountains which traverses the island from north to 
south. An early start should be made, and the best plan 
for visitors to adopt is to obtain horses, and ride as far as 
a place called Cavalries (about 1000 ft. high), proceeding 
thence on foot. Guides can be readily had for a small sum 
either in Kingstown or Lowman's village (2 miles), which 
is passed on the way ; the time usually taken to reach the 
summit is two hours. In the neighbourhood of Cavalries 
the unique Soufriere fern, which resembles the British 
stag-horn moss (Lye op odium clavatum), is found. 

At Edinboro Bay (half a mile from Kingstown) the 
remains of some old barracks are to be seen ; from there 
to Low Point is a charming lane known as the Lovers' 
Walk, which extends to a distance of half a mile. At the 
extremity of the Point are the ruins of the old military 
hospital. 

Calliaqua, four miles from Kingstown on the windward 
side, has a population of 800. Almost 200 yards from the 
mainland to the south-west of it is Young's Island (called 
after Sir William Young, Bart.), now used as a quarantine 
station. It is reached by boat in one hour, or by road 
(2% miles), and then by ferry across the narrow strait which 
divides it from the mainland. 

In a commanding position on a rock 260 ft. above sea- 
level, and fifty yards from Young's Island, Fort Duver- 
nette is a conspicuous object. The old guns, dating from 
the days of George II and III, are still in their places, 
and on the summit are the remains of the old barracks, 



1 



2£8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

tank, and magazine, which are reached by steps partly 
cut in the rock and partly made of masonry. 

Fort Charlotte (600 ft.), upon Berkshire Hill, on the 
west side of Kingstown Bay, is interesting. There is a 
good riding and driving road all the way to it, and the fort 
can be reached in about half an hour. An object of interest 
by the wayside is the boundary stone between Otley Hall 
Estate and the Ordnance Lands, which is inscribed to the 
memory of our soldiers who fell in the Brigands War of 
1795-96. The inscription runs : 

To 

The Memory of 

Many Brave 

SOLDIERS 

Particularly of the 

46th & 69th Reg. and of the Island Militia and 

Rangers who fell in defending this Colony in the 

Years 1795 & 1796 

This Pillar 

is Erected on the Boundary of Ottley Hall Estate 

and the Garrison of Fort Charlotte 

by W. L. Uebuury 

B.O. 

/I\ 

The 46th Regt. is now the 2nd Bn. Duke of Cornwall's 
Light Infantry, and the 69th the 2nd Bn. Welsh Regt. The 
fort was formerly the chief defence of the island, and was 
very strongly fortified. It contained barracks for six 
hundred men, and had thirty-four pieces of artillery, and 
several outworks. Some of the old military buildings are 
now used to house the colony's paupers. In 1854 the garri- 
son was withdrawn, though one company of the 16th Bed- 
fordshire Regt. returned in 1867 and remained for six years. 
Of the five guns now left in the fort, one is fired to indicate 
the arrival of the mail steamer, and at 8 p.m. every day. 
The fort is approached by a narrow archway which gives 
access to a spacious parade ground. On the right, an 
incline leads to the ramparts, which mounted eleven 32- 
pounders and two 10-in. mortars. At the rear of the 
parade are two powder magazines and a guard-house. 
Farther still and a little lower down are the barracks. 




FORT DUVERNETTE, ST. VINCENT 

An historic island fort. (Bequia in the distance) 




LABORIE, ST. LUCIA 

The graceful trees are coco-nut palms 



ST. VINCENT 289 

cook-house, &c, and the large tanks which hold a supply of 
50,000 gallons of water. At the extremity of the promon- 
tory there is a small bomb-proof building and a reserve 
tank to hold 10,500 gallons of water. A splendid view of 
Kingstown, the southern part of the island, and several 
of the islets in the Grenadines can be obtained from the 
citadel. 

At Low Point, about 400 ft. below the fort and to sea- 
ward of the citadel, stands the military hospital, now 
used for patients suffering from yaws. 

A ride to a high ridge called " Vigie," or "look-out," 
about 6 miles in a north-easterly direction, is also worth 
taking. This place was once a fortified post, and it is of 
interest as having been the scene of several sharp engage- 
ments between the English and French, with their Carib 
allies, in the war of 1795-96. The different ridges are 
concentrated into one elevation with three conical hills 
where the Caribs fixed their camp, which they protected 
with sugar hogsheads filled with earth. A good idea is 
obtained during the ride of the southern part of the island 
from this point, and of the different crops which it produces, 
such as arrowroot, cotton, and sugar-cane. The expedition 
takes about i£ hours each way. 

The Soufriere. If time permits, an expedition should 
be made to the Soufriere, the volcano (3500 ft. high) situated 
at the northern end of the island which suddenly burst into 
violent eruption on May 7, 1902, a day in advance of La 
Montagne Pelee in Martinique, after being quiescent since 
1 81 2, and continued in a state of activity until March 1903. 
The following account of the eruption, which resulted in 
the loss of 2000 lives, was given by the Rev. J. H. Darrell, 
of Kingstown, who was an eye-witness of this appalling 
event : 

At 7 a.m. on Wednesday, the 7th instant, there was another 
sudden and violent escape of pent-up steam, which continued 
ascending till 10 a.m., when other material began to be ejected. 
It would seem that this was the time when the enormous mass 
of water in the lake of the old crater was emitted in gaseous 
condition. . . . The mountain heaved and laboured to rid itself 
of the burning mass of lava heaving and tossing below. By 
12.30 p.m. it was evident that it had begun to disengage itself 



2 9 o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

of its burden by the appearance as of fire flashing now and then 
around the edge of the crater. There was, however, no visible 
ascension of flame. These flame-like appearances were, I think, 
occasioned by the molten lava rising to the neck of the volcano. 
Being quite luminous, the light emitted was reflected from the 
banks of steam above, giving them the appearance of flames. 

From the time the volcano became fully active, tremendous 
detonations followed one another so rapidly that they seemed 
to merge into a continuous roar, which lasted all through Wednes- 
day night, yesterday (Thursday, the 8th), and up to 6.30 a.m. 
this morning, the 9th instant. These detonations and thunder- 
ings were heard as far as Barbados, one hundred miles distant, 
as well as in Grenada, Trinidad, and the south end of St. Lucia. 
At 12.10 p.m. on Wednesday, I left in company with several 
gentlemen in a small row-boat to go to Chateaubelair, where we 
hoped to get a better view of the eruption. As we passed Layou, 
the first town on the leeward coast, the smell of sulphuretted 
hydrogen was very perceptible. Before we got half-way on 
our journey, a vast column of steam, smoke, and ashes ascended 
to a prodigious elevation. The majestic body of curling vapour 
was sublime beyond imagination. We were about eight miles 
from the crater as the crow flies, and the top of the enormous 
column, eight miles off, reached higher than one-fourth of the 
segment of the circle. I judged that the awful pillar was fully 
eight miles in height. We were rapidly proceeding to our point 
of observation, when an immense cloud, dark, dense, and appa- 
rently thick with volcanic material, descended over our pathway, 
impeding our progress and warning us to proceed no farther. 
This mighty bank of sulphurous vapour and smoke assumed 
at one time the shape of a gigantic promontory, then of a collec- 
tion of twirling, revolving cloud -whorls, turning with rapid 
velocity, now assuming the shape of gigantic cauliflowers, then 
efflorescing into beautiful flower-shapes, some dark, some efful- 
gent, others pearly white, and all brilliantly illuminated by 
electric flashes. Darkness, however, soon fell upon us. The 
sulphurous air was laden with fine dust that fell thickly upon 
and around us, discolouring the sea ; a black rain began to fall, 
followed by another rain of favilla, lapilli, and scoriae. The 
electric flashes were marvellously rapid in their motions and 
numerous beyond all computation. These, with the thundering 
noise of the mountain, mingled with the dismal roar of the lava, 
the shocks of earthquake, the falling of stones, the enormous 
quantity of material ejected from the belching craters, producing 
a darkness as dense as a starless midnight, the plutonic energy 
of the mountain growing greater and greater every moment, 
combined to make up a scene of horrors. It was after five 
o'clock when we returned to Kingstown, cowed and impressed 
by the weirdness of the scene we had witnessed, and covered 
with the still thickly falling grey dust. . . . The awful scene 
was again renewed yesterday (Thursday, the 8th) and again 



ST. VINCENT 291 

to-day. At about 8 a.m. the volcano shot out an immense 
volume of material which was carried in a cloud over George- 
town and its neighbourhood, causing not only great alarm, 
but compelling the people by families to seek shelter in other 
districts. 

The ashes from the volcano were carried by an upper 
current of air for over a hundred miles and fell profusely 
over Barbados, where they caused much astonishment. 
A similar phenomenon was witnessed during the former 
great eruption in May 181 2, and the ashes were called by 
the Barbadians " May Dust." The earliest recorded erup- 
tion was in 171 5. For the relief of the sufferers, in 1902 
a Mansion House Fund was opened and ^65,769 105. zod. 
collected, which was supplemented by contributions from the 
neighbouring colonies and other parts of the Empire. 

The usual plan adopted by visitors who wish to see the 
crater is to leave Kingstown by the mail canoe which starts 
each day at 2 p.m. for Chateaubelair (22 miles), calling en 
route at the small leeward towns of Layou (8 miles) and 
Barrouallie (12 miles), the principal town of the first French 
planters, which suffered severely from the eruption of 1902, 
and arriving at 6 p.m., after giving the passengers an admir- 
able view of the forest-clad hills of the island and the narrow 
valleys which run down to the sea. Previous to starting, 
however, the permission of the chief of police should be 
obtained for the use of the Government Rest Room at the 
police barracks in Chateaubelair, a former stronghold of 
the Caribs, where there is usually accommodation for two 
or three persons, for which a nominal charge is made. On 
arrival at Chateaubelair, a guide and boys to carry baggage 
should be secured, and arrangements made for a boat to 
row as far as the Wallibou River (25 miles), from which 
point the ascent is begun. Starting at sunrise on the follow- 
ing morning from the Rest Room, the crater can be reached 
within three hours. On the way, the ruined buildings 
of " Richmond " and " Wallibou " estates can be seen, 
and also the former site of Richmond village (24 miles), 
which was completely effaced and was the scene of the loss 
of many lives. On reaching the lower lip of the crater, 
one has a fine view of the devastated area and also of other 
parts of the island; besides the: large crater lake. The 



292 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

return journey from Chateau belair can be made by mail 
canoe, which leaves each morning at 6 a.m. and reaches 
Kingstown at 10 a.m. The cost of this excursion should 
not exceed ^i. By those who do not care for a long day 
in an open boat at sea, the Soufriere can be approached by 
road on horseback ; but four or five days must be allowed 
for this. 

All round the southern end of the island, down the Palm 
Avenue, across Arno's Vale (i mile), and through the 
little town of Calliaqua (4 miles), winds the great road to 
Georgetown (22 miles) on the eastern or windward coast, 
by which the prosperous planters of the fertile Carib country 
used to communicate with Kingstown. With an early 
start, a riding-horse, or carriage with a pair of ponies, can 
easily cover the distance of twenty-six miles within the 
compass of a tropical day. After rounding the southern 
corner of the island the road passes the ruins of the old 
French sugar works on what was once Prince Polignac's 
estate of Argyle (9 miles), and all along the windward coast 
are seen the ruins of the once famous plantations, which 
owed their fertility to the outbreaks of the Soufriere in 
previous centuries, and as Georgetown is approached the 
luxuriant vegetation is to be seen already bursting through 
the thick mantle of grey dust ejected from the volcano in 
1902. For the expedition by this route also, arrangements 
can be made by telephone. 

The Falls of Baleine, an attractive cascade at the 
extreme north of the island near the foot of the Soufriere, 
can be reached by canoe in just over an hour from Chateau - 
belair. 

Other excursions of a pleasant description are evening 
rides or walks to Dorsetshire Hill, on which there used 
to be barracks for the troops, on the north-east of Kings- 
town and to the head of the Kingstown waterworks below 
Mount St. Andrew, from which the view is superb. The 
route lies along the lane running past the west end of the 
cathedral. The reservoir, 1500 feet above Kingstown, 
which is supplied from Mount St. Andrew, has a capacity 
for 600,000 gallons. 

Dorsetshire Hill was the scene of much fighting during 



ST. VINCENT 293 

the wars with the French and the Caribs. The fortifica- 
tions, which consisted only of earthworks, have long since 
disappeared. To the north on Miller's Ridge guns still lie 
dismounted on the ground. 

An attractive drive is that along the Leeward Road to 
the Buccament Valley (6 miles) and the Mesopotamia 
Valley (8 miles) along the windward coast. 

St. Vincent has two mineral springs at Belair and Mar- 
riaqua. The former is 2 to 3 miles from Kingstown, and 
is easily reached by the public road which runs through 
the centre of the island. The latter is about 9 miles 
distant in the valley of the same name. In the middle 
of the pass leading to the valley a sculptured stone of great 
antiquity is shown. The rude chisellings — believed to 
have been the work of the aboriginal Carib inhabitants — 
represent four heads with strange head-dresses. Below 
one is a trident- shaped symbol. There are also strangely 
sculptured stones at the Villa, Buccament Valley, Barron- 
allie, and Petit Bordel Estates. 



CHAPTER XI 

THE LEEWARD ISLANDS 

ANTIGUA 

Where Nelson refitted in 1805 

GENERAL ASPECT. Antigua — pronounced "Anteega" — 
which is situated in latitude 17 6' N. and longitude 61 ° 45' 
W., about 40 miles east of Nevis, the same distance north 
of Guadeloupe, and 27 miles north-east of Montserrat, has 
an area of 108 square miles and a population of 31,394. 
The island, which is the seat of Government of the Leeward 
Islands, is oval in shape, and has three distinct charac- 
teristics. In the south and south-west it is volcanic and 
mountainous ; in the north and north-east it is of coral 
formation, the soil being composed of calcareous marls and 
coarse sandstone, while the central part is flat and of clayey 
formation. Unfortunately for the planters, the island has 
properly speaking no rivers, but Bendal's Stream supplies a 
sufficiency of water for the sugar factory of the same name. 
The shores are lined with coral reefs, but the island has 
many natural harbours, the most notable of which are St. 
John's Harbour on the north-west, which is fully two miles 
long by three-quarters of a mile broad, the historic English 
Harbour, formerly the port of call of the mail steamers at 
the south, with the still more capacious Falmouth Harbour 
next to it, Willoughby Bay at the south-east, and Parham 
Harbour on the north coast. St. John's, the capital (popula- 
tion about 9000), stands on gently sloping ground at the 
head of the harbour of the same name. The island is divided 
into six parishes, St. John, St. Peter, St. Philip, St. Mary, 
St. Paul, and St. George. The islands of Barbuda, 
formerly called by the pretty name of Dulcina, which lies 

294 



ANTIGUA 



295 



25 miles to the north, and Redonda, between Montserrat 
and Nevis, and 25 miles to the south-west of the main 
island, are dependencies of Antigua. 

INDUSTRIES. Sugar is the mainstay of Antigua. Sea 
Island cotton is also produced to some extent. Pine- 
apples, for which Antigua has a good name, are grown 
in the south of the island ; but the export trade in them is 
languishing owing to the lack of adequate shipping facilities. 

The principal exports in 191 2- 13 were as follows : 

Value. 

Sugar, tons . . . 11,639 • • 133,778 

Molasses, puns. . . 5,244 . . 18,353 

Sea Island cotton, lbs. . 80,910 . . 5,099 



The direction of trade in 191 2 was : 

Imports. 

United Kingdom . . 69,098 

British Colonies . 
Foreign Countries 



25,907 
73.278 



Exports. 

29,214 

126,193 

9,56l 



FINANCIAL POSITION. The comparative table given 
below shows the revenue and expenditure and the imports 
and exports of the colony of Antigua for the last ten years. 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




£ 


1 


£ 


£ 


1903-4 . 


43,8ii 


50,209 


131,365 


101,147 


1904-5 . 


44,294 


48,670 


139,641 


115,322 


1905-6 


48,798 


54,383 


132,973 


99,862 


1906-7 


44,175 


45,206 


125,754 


93,842 


1907-8 


50,619 


46,967 


164,587 


172,410 


1908-9 


5i,502 


49,964 


175,587 


179,106 


1909-10 . 


48,583 


49,204 


139,496 


114,122 


1910-11 . 


52,326 


53,495 


170,033 


196,184 


1911-12 . 


52,292 


53,652 


181,331 


161,064 


1912-13 . 


53,489 


53,193 


168,274 


164,968 



CLIMATE. Antigua is subject to severe droughts, and 
the average annual rainfall is as low as 46 inohes. The soil 
is, however, very retentive and the crops thrive well, in spite 
of the small rainfall. It is recorded that in 1731 the 



296 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

scarcity of water was so great that a pailful of that precious 
liquid was sold for three shillings ! Bendal's Stream has 
recently been dammed in two places and much rain-water 
which used to run out to sea is thus conserved. The wells 
or springs in the central plain from St. John's to Willoughby 
Bay being brackish, the only water available in the locality 
is that which is collected in ponds and pools. Wells in the 
limestone region on the north-east of this central plain yield 
good water, and there are also a few wells lying to the west 
and south of the plain. In some parts of the island the 
people are dependent on water collected in ponds, and in 
times of drought they surfer considerable hardships. St. 
John's has now an excellent water supply derived from a 
reservoir at the Body Ponds, and Wallings Reservoir, a 
large tank in the hills which was completed seventeen years 
ago at a cost, with its pipe service, of over /40,00c). It fur- 
nishes a valuable subsidiary supply for fifteen of the princi- 
pal villages, which are supplied with water from it through 
pipes. In the winter months the climate is healthy, except 
in the neighbourhood of swamps and marshes. The birth- 
rate is 35.13 and the death-rate is 36.65 per 1000, but this 
figure cannot be taken as any criterion, for, as in so many 
West Indian colonies, infant mortality is, owing to neglect, 
very high. 

HISTORY. Columbus discovered Antigua on his second 
voyage in 1493, and christened it after Sta Maria la Antigua, 
a church in Seville. It was visited by some Spaniards 
under Don Antonio Serrano in 1520, and in 1629 D'Esnam- 
buc, the captain of a French privateer, made an abortive 
attempt to settle the island, but was driven away by want 
of water, and it was not colonised until 1632, when some 
English from St. Kitts under Edward, son of Sir Thomas 
Warner, established themselves there. During the Common- 
wealth it remained Royalist, and was included with Vir- 
ginia, Barbados, and Bermuda in the Imperial Act of 1650, 
which prohibited trade with those dependencies on account 
of their rebellious attitude towards the Home Government. 
Lord Francis Willoughby, lessee of the patent left by Lord 
Carlisle to his son, visited the Leeward Islands from 
Barbados in 1650, and encouraged the inhabitants to resist 




Tbiiceay B. 

Douglas B.& Ft 

^EupertS^t 

Indian^ . <fc Pr.Rv^e^ »: 
olio J 

CoxilxkaatVXi, .> ; -" V >„.<■& 

RJlacTiouch%y t^' o _(!?' e #^?*g 

' jWi a '■ KymJTiye Sitters 

R.S.a-oi.v i. -fe 1 -*-!-; !*: ";J^SB)Wan<ny 

— _ JW^Ife**^^ ^fe^ 



15 2^ 



*~ ftchstcxoiL SonJi-iet 



ilfttil * 



^rt*'-> 






4. 



ANTIGUA 




•^m%^ 




,.&Maiami.jL4 k ^ip^fn^vf ~.j$§£%Lje*> 

*i%D<xpB.&ToTkI 



Morris', &vi i A '" M,y -^,i «rtp an ,| ( 2 




Jjai/iT'i) rci > &e-ogr<xf>hi.cal Es-tah" 



ANTIGUA 297 

the Commonwealth. He was compelled to relinquish the 
government of the islands in 1652, but he returned in 1663 
after the Restoration, and governed until 1666, when he 
was lost at sea. In 1666 French troops, reinforced by Irish 
malcontents and Caribs, landed at Five Islands Bay and 
took possession of the island ; but in the following year 
it was ceded to England by the Treaty of Breda, and the 
Government was entrusted to Lord Francis Willoughby's 
brother, Lord William Willoughby of Parham. The 
subsequent history of Antigua has been, on the whole, 
uneventful. A few years after the cession of the island 
there were only rive hundred black people in it, while a 
hundred years later the population included 37,808 slaves, 
1230 free people of colour, and 2590 whites. In 1689 the 
inhabitants of Anguilla sought refuge in Antigua, which was 
defended from the incursions of the French and Indians 
by Sir Timothy Thornhill and a body of troops. The 
notorious Mr. Parke became Governor in 1706. Violent 
dissensions arose between him and the populace, but he 
refused to resign and was at length killed by a riotous mob 
on December 7, 1710.* Antigua has been visited on several 
occasions by hurricanes of great severity — notably in 1681, 
1740, 1792, 1849 an d 1899. 

CONSTITUTION. By an Act of 187 1, one Executive and 
one Legislative Council, under one Governor, were con- 
stituted for the six (now five) Presidencies of the Leeward 
Islands. As reconstituted by the Federal Act No. 1 of 
1899, the Legislative Council now consists of eight official 
and eight elective members. Three elective members are 
chosen by the elective members of the Island Council of 
Antigua, two by those of the Legislative Council of Domi- 
nica, and three by the unofficial members of the Legislative 
Council of St. Kitts and Nevis. They must be, and 
continue to be, members of their respective Island Councils. 
The official members are the Governor, the Colonial 
Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Auditor-General, the 
Administrators of St. Kitts-Nevis and Dominica, and the 

* A chapter is devoted to the misdeeds and fate of Governor 
Parke in " West Indian Tales of Old." London : Duckworth 
and Co. 



298 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Commissioners of Montserrat and the Virgin Islands. The 
Legislative Council has concurrent legislative powers with 
the local legislatures on certain subjects specified in the Act, 
such as matters of property, mercantile and criminal law, 
the law relating to status, the maintenance of a general 
police force and a common convict establishment, quaran- 
tine, postal and telegraph affairs, currency, audit, weights 
and measures, education, and the care of lunatics, all matters 
relating to immigration, copyright and patents, and its own 
constitution and procedure. Any island Legislature is, in 
addition, competent to declare other matters to be within 
the competency of the general Legislature. Any island 
enactment on such subjects is void if repugnant to an enact- 
ment of the general Legislature, or may at any time be 
repealed or altered by one. The Council meets once a year, 
at a place notified by proclamation (usually at St. John's, 
Antigua), and no Council lasts more than three years. The 
session usually extends from one to three weeks. 

The expenses of the federal establishments are voted by 
the Council, and apportioned among the Presidencies. 
The Council has power to alter its constitution by an 
ordinary Act, to be reserved for the King's pleasure, and the 
King has power at any time to include any other West Indian 
island in the federation, upon joint addresses from both 
Councils. On March 22, 1898, the Legislative Council of 
Antigua, which was previously partly elected and partly 
nominated by the Governor, passed an Act abrogating 
itself, and the Crown Colony system was substituted. The 
new Council consists of sixteen members, eight official and 
eight unofficial, all nominated by the Governor under 
Royal letters patent. The Governor presides. 

Governors of the Leeward Islands since 1901 
Sir Henry Moore Jackson, K.C.M.G. 1901 
Sir Gerald Strickland, K.C.M.G. 1902 

Sir Courtenay C. Knollys, K.C.M.G. 1904 
Sir Bickham Sweet-Escott, K.C.M.G. 1906 
Sir Henry Hesketh Bell, K.C.M.G. 1912 

HOTELS. St. John's. The Globe Hotel, in St. Mary's 
and Thames Streets, which is owned by Mr. T. E. Walter 



ANTIGUA 299 

and conducted by him personally, is recommended — 
Pension 8s. 4^. per day, or £8 6s. 8d. per month. There 
is also a good boarding-house at the head of the town, 
kept by Miss Jones ; and Esperanza House in Redcliffe 
Street, kept by Mrs. Yearwood, can also be recommended. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. The island is served 
by the steamship companies 1, 7, 8, 13 and 19 {see pages 14 
to 27). The Government launch carries passengers be- 
tween steamer and the shore at a cost of 2s. 6d. per passenger, 
which is paid in most cases by the steamship companies. 
Carriages are obtainable at Robinson's, Langley's, Buck- 
ley's, or Doig's livery stables. Tariff— Botanic Gardens 
and Cotton Factory, buggy for two, 25. 6d. ; buggy for 
three, 45. ; Gunthorpe's Central Factory, 45. and 6s. ; 
Wallings Reservoir, 105. and 14s. ; Fig Tree Hill, 125. and 
1 6s. ; English Harbour, 14s and 20s. 

SPORTS. Cricket, lawn-tennis, rifle-shooting, golf, and 
croquet are the chief amusements. There is a nine-hole 
golf course in the Victoria Park, and well-kept links at 
Cassada Garden. There is a good lawn-tennis club in St. 
John's, with excellent courts and croquet lawns, which are 
the rendezvous of local society. The town can also boast an 
admirable amateur dramatic society, and dances are frequent. 
Good boating can be had in St. John's and Parham Harbours, 
while capital bathing can be indulged in near St. John's, 
and, indeed, all round the coast. Good sport with deer, 
wild duck, guinea-birds, and pigeons is to be had in Barbuda 
{see page 309), while tarpon fishing also gives good sport 
in the lagoon and round the shores. Deer, wild goats, 
rabbits, wild duck and pigeon are found in Long and Guana 
Islands. 

• SOCIAL CLUB. The New Club, near Government House, 
is noted for its hospitality, and the principal London papers 
and magazines can be seen at the Public Library, which is 
situated in High Street, near the landing-place. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The town of St. John's, at the 
head of the spacious though shallow harbour of the same 
name, used to be defended by Goat Hill Fort on the south, 
and on the north by Fort James ; while Rat Island, which 
is connected with Antigua by a narrow isthmus, was also 



300 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 
fortified. Goat Hill is historically interesting as being 
the scene of one of the exploits of Prince Rupert, the third 
son of Elizabeth, daughter of James I, and of Frederick V, 
Elector Palatine of the Rhine. The Prince, who was 
described by Governor Searle, of Barbados, as a " grand 
pirate " — in his West Indian Adventures — arrived at 
Antigua with Sir Robert Holmes in 1652. Here they found 
two of the Parliament's ships in Deep Bay, which is only 
divided from St. John's Harbour by a narrow strip 
of land ending in Goat Hill and Ship's Stern Point. 
Sir Robert Holmes landed at night with a party on the 
St. John's side and scaling Goat Hill took the Fort and 
trained the guns on to Deep Bay. In the morning Prince 
Rupert appeared at the entrance of the Bay and they sank 
one ship in the harbour and took the other at Montserrat. 
It was at Goat Hill that the French landed when they 
reduced the island in 1666. The fortifications — Fort 
Barrington — were completed in 1779. The fort is now used 
as a signal station. 

Fort James, erected on a piece of land given to Charles II 
by Colonel Vaughan and fortified in 1704-5, commands an 
extensive view. It is chiefly worthy of notice for its 
foundation-stone, which was laid with full masonic honours, 
a most unusual proceeding in the case of a purely military 
building. The inscription on the stone can still be traced, 
though it was nearly obliterated by some mischievous 
treasure-hunters, who hoped to find coin of the realm 
beneath it. The inscription runs : 

This [first stone] was Laid by 

[I]saac Mathew 

The Right Worshipfull 

[The] Provincial] Grand Master 

With his [Gra]nd Officers 

And 

The Right W[or]shipfull the Masters 

And 

The Wardens [and] Brothers 

of 

The Three Lodges [of F]ree and accepted Masons 

of Antigua. 

November 15TH, 1739. 








A STREET IN ST. JOHN S, ANTIGUA 

This picture shows buggies, a popular form of conveyance 
in the West Indies 




THE DOCKYARD, ENGLISH HARBOUR, ANTIGUA 

Where Nelson refitted his ships when pursuing Villeneuve in 1805 



ANTIGUA 301 

The three Lodges referred to were the " Parham " Lodge, 
constituted January 31, 1737, " Bakers " Lodge, March 14, 
1738, and the " Court House " Lodge, November 22, 1738. 
The last-named was afterwards called the " Great Lodge 
at St. John's in Antigua." The Fort is now used as a 
quarantine station. 

The buildings on Rat Island, which is connected with 
the mainland by a causeway, are now used as a signal 
station and leper asylum. They were erected in 1741, on 
land purchased by the Government, as barracks for the 
infantry stationed in the island. 

The streets of St. John's are very clean and the houses 
are nearly all made of wood painted a dazzling white. The 
rather commonplace monument on the wharf was erected 
by the people of Antigua to the memory of the late Bishop 
Westerby, who died in 1888, aged 75. 

The Post Office is on the left-hand side of the High 
Street, near the wharf, and the office of the Colonial Bank 
is in Newgate Street at the end of Market Street. 

The Anglican Cathedral stands on rising ground at the 
head of the town. It is a handsome stone fabric, with a 
facade terminating at either end in octagonal domed towers, 
and replaces an inferior building wrecked by the earthquake 
which took place immediately after morning service on 
Sunday, February 8, 1843. The cathedral occupies the 
very spot where the militia were stationed in 1710, when 
the mob attacked Governor Daniel Parke, whose tyranny 
and arbitrary conduct made him detested in the island. 
The corner-stone was laid in 1845. The cathedral was 
opened on October 10, 1847, and completed in the following 
year, its total cost being ^40,000. It is solidly built, and 
cruciform in shape, while its length is 130 feet and its 
breadth 50 feet. The interior, which is fitted with galleries, 
is lined with stout pitch pine as a precaution against 
earthquakes. 

The building contains very few monuments. Among 
them the principal is a large brass dedicated to the memory 
of Bishop Jackson, the third Bishop of the See (1860-1895). 
In the churchyard, which is on a gentle slope, many notable 
inhabitants found their last resting-place, including Otto 



302 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Baijer, Ashton Warner, Major-General George W. Ramsay, 
and Patrick Kirvan, the perpetrator of many amusing 
" bulls," whose gravestone was inscribed " By his discretion 
this tomb was erected." The churchyard is entered by 
iron gates, those at the south being flanked by pillars on 
which are metal figures representing St. John the Baptist 
and his namesake the Evangelist. They were intended for 
Dominica, but the French vessel in which they were being 
conveyed to that island was captured by a British man-of- 
war, which brought them to Antigua, where they have since 
remained. They are now known to the negroes as Adam 
and Eve. 

The roof of the cathedral is partly maintained at the 
expense of the Government, who use it to collect rain-water, 
which is stored in a large cistern. The cathedral possesses 
some interesting and valuable plate, notable among which 
are two massive silver candlesticks over two hundred years 
old. They were the gift of one Peter Lee in 1704, and bear 
the inscription : " Donum domini Petri Lee ad Templum 
Divi Johannis in Antigua." 

The monuments in the old church were many, and 
the inscriptions upon them were exceedingly interesting, 
the oldest being a stone slab in the chancel to the memory 
of Mrs. Gilbert, the wife of the Mr. Gilbert who introduced 
Methodism into Antigua, and who died in 1747. In the 
south aisle were monuments to Mrs. Elizabeth Odley, a 
descendant of Sir Thomas Warner, who possessed " a 
graceful figure, an excellent understanding, and a sweetness 
of disposition that engaged the esteem of all who knew her " ; 
a tablet to the memory of her son, Otto Baijer, a descendant 
of Bastien Baijer, who signed the capitulation in 1666 ; a 
pyramidal monument to the memory of George Atkinson, 
" the blooming prop " of the declining age of his parents ; 
and in the north aisle a fine monument to the Rev. C. T. 
Bernard, a former curate of St. John's, a white marble 
cenotaph to the memory of the Hon. William Warner, a 
descendant of Sir Thomas, and an elaborate monument to 
Ralph, Lord Lavington, which were of exceptional interest. 
In the latter his lordship was represented in a sitting 
posture in court dress, with his plumed hat lying at his 



ANTIGUA 303 

feet, and two female figures reclining on either side of a 
small sarcophagus, the one on the left representing Astrea, 
with her scales by her side, and the other the genius of the 
island mourning the loss of a favourite governor. On the 
base of the monument was a brief biographical inscription. 
Lord Lavington was buried on Carlisle's Estate, now the 
property of the Hon. J. J. Camacho, where his tomb can 
still be seen in the middle of a field of sugar-canes and 
beneath a very old sapodilla-tree. Some vandal stole the 
slab bearing the inscription, and for many years the tomb 
was in a very dilapidated state, but it has now been neatly 
bricked in. Then again there was a remarkable monument 
to the memory of Mrs. Musgrave, who was thrown out of 
her carriage in St. John's and killed on the spot. A 
representation of the event was sculptured in bas-relief on 
the cenotaph, which was of white marble. 

Government House is an unpretentious building beyond 
the cathedral, not far from the hospitable New Club. 
Opposite to it is the Prison, which occupies a building 
erected in 1735 for the troops. It is one of the most 
commodious in the West Indies and is a model of cleanliness. 
The inmates comprise long-term prisoners from all the 
islands of the federation. The St. John's Training School 
for boys, which has replaced Skerret's Reformatory, does 
a good work, and deserves a visit. Many of the lads are 
now being apprenticed to various master- craftsmen in the 
town. The Lunatic Asylum, which stands to the east 
of the Training School, accommodates patients from all the 
various Presidencies. The gardens are noted for the 
extraordinary luxuriance of the bougainvillea, and are 
worth a visit. 

The Cotton Factory is a drive of ten or fifteen minutes 
from St. John's. Antigua is one of the centres of the 
revived cotton industry in the West Indies, and a visit to 
the factory during crop time, which extends from January 
to April or May, when the Sea Island cotton is being 
ginned, is worth making. The Central Sugar Factory at 
Gunthorpe's is about 3^ miles from St. John's. Wallings 
Reservoir (4 hours there and back) is reached by carriage. 
It is the main source of the island's water-supply and was 



30 4 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

opened in 1901 . Fig Tree Hill (6 hours by way of Wallings, 
Claremont, and St. Mary's) commands an extensive view of 
Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Nevis and St. Kitts on a fine day. 

The drive to English Harbour (8 hours for the excursion) 
and the old Naval Dockyard, where Nelson refitted his 
ships during his memorable pursuit of Villeneuve to the 
West Indies and back in 1805, is an expedition which every 
visitor staying more than one day in Antigua should make. 
The first part of the drive is not particularly interesting, 
but on reaching the volcanic district of the island, which has 
to be traversed, it becomes much more attractive. The 
harbour which, like so many in the West Indies, is an extinct 
volcanic crater, is very tortuous, with a very small entrance 
protected by a narrow promontory running across it, and 
guarded in the old days by a chain boom. It is divided 
from Falmouth Harbour, which is next to it, by a narrow 
isthmus, and with very little trouble the two might be 
made one magnificent harbour, which could easily be 
defended by forts on the high hills surrounding it. On 
the summit of Monks Hill which overlooks Falmouth, 
stand the remains of Great George Fort, which covered ten 
acres and mounted, according to Luffman, " forty-eight 
pounders, said to be the identical guns taken out of the 
Fourdriaunt * man-of-war, taken some years since in these 
seas." It was erected as a place of refuge for women and 
children in case of siege. The works were begun in 1689 and 
completed in 1705. The military cemetery is overgrown 
with bush — a disgrace to the local Government. This 
fort is now used as a signal station. Only occasionally do 
ships now visit English Harbour ; and the dockyard, with its 
group of yellow barracks and stores with red roofs, though 
trim and tidy, is deserted. For many years even the mail 
steamers have forsaken the harbour for St. John's on 
the leeward side of the island. To the right of the entrance 
are the Shirley heights, once strongly fortified, and to 
the left of it Middle Ground on a peninsula and Dow's 
Hill, where the general officer commanding the troops 
resided. It was fortified in 1791, and the Governor's 
country residence was for many years there. To the 
* Luffman no doubt meant the Foudroyant. 



ANTIGUA 305 

east of Shirley heights is the Ridge, which was abandoned 
when the last regiment left in 1855. The walls of 
large buildings remain ; some are in good order, but 
the woodwork has rotted and been removed. The large 
Block House was built in 1787 by order of Governor 
Matthew, as recorded on a memorial stone. The only 
habitable buildings are the artillery barracks, which were 
last used as a convalescent lunatic asylum. An obelisk 
in the cemetery on the Ridge bears the names of officers, 
non-commissioned officers and men of the 54th Regiment, 
(now the 2nd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment), who died 
in Antigua, St. Kitts, Dominica, and St. Lucia, March 1848 
to June 1 851 . The best point from which to see the harbour 
is near Clarence House, a building on a side of the hill 
opposite the dockyard, which was erected in 1787 by English 
stone-masons for Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence — 
afterwards William IV — when he was attached to the West 
Indies Station. The Prince arrived in Antigua at the end of 
1786 in the Pegasus frigate, and we read that " his appear- 
ance put this little community into a ferment." Mr. John 
Burke, Solicitor-General, was so overcome with emotion that 
in presenting the address of the Legislature to His Royal 
Highness, " notwithstanding this gentleman has been for 
years hackneyed at the bar, and is a bold orator, yet, on this 
occasion, to the astonishment of every bystander, he was 
nearly bereft of the power of utterance." The Prince's 
chief attendant was Captain Nelson, of the Boreas. In 
descending from Clarence House to the harbour the man- 
chineel trees should be treated with respect. The milky 
juice, which exudes from their leaves and stems when 
broken, burns whatever it touches, and any one who takes 
shelter under this " poison-tree," as it is called, during a 
shower of rain has good reason to remember it. A large 
anchor in front of the barracks marks the spot where a 
tragedy occurred in 1798. Lord Camelford, th^n acting 
as commander of H.M. sloop Favourite, had a private 
quarrel with Lieutenant Peterson of H.M.S. Perdrix. Soon 
after, Lord Camelford gave Peterson an order which he 
refused to obey, and the consequence was that Lord 
Camelford shot him dead on this very spot. The following 



306 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

account of the episode is given in " Antigua and the 
Antiguans " * : 

Lord Camelford commanded the Favourite sloop of war and 
Commodore Fahie the ship Perdrix, Mr. Peterson holding the 
rank of first lieutenant on board the last-named. Commodore 
Fahie had left Antigua a short time before, to take temporary 
command of the fleet, then anchored before St. Kitts.-f and during 
his absence Lieutenant Peterson was, of course, left in command 
of the Perdrix. It was the custom, in those troubled days of 
warfare, for boats to row backwards and forwards across the 
harbour during the hours of night, the sailors of the different 
ships in the dock, headed by one of their officers, taking it by 
turns to keep this watch ; and the sleeper might often be roused 
from his dreams as the deep-toned " All's well " resounded 
through the still night air. Lord Camelford and Lieutenant 
Peterson were, unhappily, at variance ; and, perhaps to mortify 
his rival, Lord Camelford ordered Mr. Peterson to take the 
watch upon the very evening that a gay ball was to be given at 
Black's Point to the naval officers. Unfortunately Lieutenant 
Peterson entertained the idea that, as he was in command of 
the ship Perdrix, in the absence of Commodore Fahie, he was 
superior officer to Lord Camelford, who only commanded a 
sloop ; and, in consequence of this false impression, he positively 
refused to obey his lordship's orders. The disastrous evening 
approached, and the Lieutenant retired to his quarters above 
the capstan-house in order to dress for the festive party. Arming 
himself with a pair of loaded pistols, and telling his boat's crew 
to attend him, Lord Camelford quitted his retirement and 
stationed himself directly between the capstan-house and the 
guard-house (now called the Commissioner's house), and there 
waited the approach of Mr. Peterson, whom he had already 
summoned to attend him. Upon the unfortunate young officer 
making his appearance, accompanied by some of his friends, 
his lordship again commanded him to take charge of the watch 
for the evening — the command was again refused — when, taking 
one of his pistols from his bosom, Lord Camelford immediately 
fired, and the ball passing through the breast of the brave but 
inconsiderate lieutenant, he fell a corpse upon the ground, the 
deadly stream welling from the wound, and staining, as it flowed, 
the gay ball-dress which he wore. No sooner did the well- 
aimed weapon do its work than, drawing the other from its 
resting-place, his lordship turned to the second lieutenant of 
the Perdrix, and, pointing it at him, asked if he would obey his 
orders or meet the same punishment as Mr. Peterson. Life is 
sweet ! The second in command saw his friend stretched at 

* The affair is also described in "West Indian Tales of Old." 
London : Duckworth and Co. 

\ Of which island he was a native. 




■■ 



CAMELFORD'S ANCHOR, ENGLISH HARBOUR, ANTIGUA 

The house on the hill was built for Prince William Henry, alterwards 
King William IV. 




BRIMSTONE HILL, ST. KITTS 

A now dismantled fortress (779 ft. high) 



ANTIGUA 307 

his feet, with the red blood gurgling round him, and, fearing the 
same fate, he obeyed Lord Camelford and took the watch. 
Lord Camelford was tried by court-martial but honourably 
acquitted, only to fall in a duel by the hands of Captain Best, 
a native of Barbados. 

Like the students' prisons at Heidelberg University, the 
walls of the barracks at English Port bear many inscriptions 
written by former inmates and visitors, and among them 
is pointed out one painted by his Majesty King George V, 
when as Prince George of Wales he visited Antigua in 
H.M.S. Canada. It runs "A merry Xmas and happy New 
Year 2 You All." The first part of the dockyard — that 
known as St. Helena — was built in 1726, and in 1746 the 
wharves and buildings were erected by Captain Del Garno. 
The dockyard, with the lands, outbuildings, tanks, cemetery, 
and also Clarence House were transferred by the Admiralty 
to the Colonial Government in 1906. 

In the churchyard of St. Paul's Church are the tomb- 
stones and vaults of, among others, the Hon. Charles Pitt, 
son of the Earl of Chatham, and Commander of H.M.S. 
Hornet, who died at English Harbour on November 13, 
1780, aged 20 ; Brigade-Major Vans Agnew, 1804 '■> an d 
Brigadier-General Andrew Dunlop, 1804, descended from 
the family of Wallace, who lies in a vault within iron rails* 
In the church itself is a marble tablet inscribed to the 
memory of " Lieutenant Chas. Montague Barrow, 1835, 
who commenced his military career at Waterloo and died 
at the Ridge." 

At Indian Warner on the Government lands at Piccadilly 
in the hilly district between Willoughby Bay and English 
Harbour, there is a vault in which Colonel Thomas Warner 
and others of the Warner family were buried. It is situated 
near the ruins of the old Great House. 

A variety of pleasant drives can be taken from St. John's, 
including those to (1) Parham, returning by way of Vernon's 
(2 hours) ; (2) by way of Weir's, St. George's Church, and 
Millar's (i£ hours) ; (3) to Gunthorpe's Central Sugar 
Factory, Weir's, St. George's and Millar's (if hours) ; 
(4) by the English Harbour road to Belle Vue, and thence 
by way of Vernon's to St. John's (2 hours) ; (5) via Marble 



3o8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Hill, Weatherill's, Langford's, and Friar's Hill (i-J- hours) ; 
(6) via Friar's Hill, Langford's, Thibou's, Judge's, and 
Cassada Garden, the estate of Major-General Poyntz, 
Governor from 1651 to 1663 (2 hours) ; and (7) to Devil's 
Bridge, on the extreme windward side of the island (6 hours) . 



BARBUDA 

The Codrington Game Preserve 

GENERAL ASPECT. The island of Barbuda, lying about 
25 miles due north of Antigua, of which it is a dependency, 
has an area of 62 square miles. It is of coral formation and 
is very flat, its highest point being only 205 feet above sea 
level. It is surrounded by reefs, and the strong currents 
which set in to the land prove a constant menace to sailing 
ships. The island has no streams, but there is a plentiful 
supply of water which is obtained from wells. 

INDUSTRIES. The staple industry of Barbuda is now 
the cultivation of Sea Island cotton, which is treated in a 
local ginnery. Indian and Guinea corn, beans, peas, 
cassava, potatoes, &c, are also raised by the natives, who 
do, too, a considerable trade with Antigua in live turtle, 
turtle-shell, dried fish, brooms, baskets, &c. The Govern- 
ment have established a stock farm to encourage the 
breeding of horses, mules, donkeys and sheep for export, 
and have also planted coco-nuts on a large scale. 

CLIMATE. The climate of Barbuda is equable and 
healthy. Being so flat the island enjoys the full benefit of 
the sea breezes which sweep across it. There is very little 
sickness, and if only a hotel were built Barbuda would cer- 
tainly be more resorted to by sportsmen than it is at present. 

HISTORY. Barbuda was first settled by a party of 
colonists from St. Kitts under Sir Thomas Warner. The 
settlers were so harassed by the Caribs that they were 
compelled to desert the island, but when the strength of 
these savages had diminished they returned and were no 
longer molested. The island was granted to the Codrington 



BARBUDA 309 

family in the eighteenth century, and was used by them as 
a stock farm from which their estates in Antigua were 
supplied with animals, and also as a shooting estate. In 
1893 a company called "The Barbuda Island Company " 
was registered to acquire a lease of the island for fifty years 
from Mr. Robert Dougal, who had obtained it from the 
Government. There was every prospect of success before it 
until 1898, when trouble arose through natives invading the 
Company's property. This was the beginning of differences 
with the Government which culminated in the Governor of 
the Leeward Islands seizing Barbuda and all the Company's 
property. Legal proceedings followed, but without success 
from the company's point of view. 

CONSTITUTION. Barbuda is a dependency of Antigua 
and is controlled by a staff comprising a manager, an 
assistant manager and an overseer. A magistrate visits 
the island two or three times during the year to settle any 
disputes which may arise among the members of the usually 
law-abiding community. 

Manager 
Mr. George Sutherland .... 1908 

HOTELS. There are no hotels or boarding-houses; but 
arrangements can generally be made by the Manager to 
accommodate small parties of visitors. 

MEANS OP COMMUNICATION. Small sailing sloops 
ply between Antigua and Barbuda, the average duration 
of the voyage being from five to six hours. This time may, 
however, be greatly exceeded if conditions are unfavourable, 
and in any case it is desirable to take plenty of provisions 
in case of emergency. Small sailing boats can be hired from 
the villagers in Barbuda for fishing at moderate rates. 

SPORTS. Mr. George Sutherland, manager in 191 4, has 
described Barbuda to the writer as a perfect sportsman's 
paradise. It is well stocked with fallow deer, originally in- 
troduced by the Codringtons ; Guinea fowl, pigeon, doves, 
and wild duck (teal, widgeon, white throat, blue wing, pin- 
tail, whistlers and divers) all abound. Plover, curlew, 
snipe, &c, visit the island in August and September, and 
good sport can be obtained hunting the wild pig, which are 



310 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

plentiful in the swamps and can be easily tracked after 
heavy rains. Excellent fishing is obtainable all round the 
coast, the fish including tarpon, king-fish, barracouta, 
snapper, cavally, &c. The shooting seasons for deer are 
from January i to March 31, and from July 1 to Septem- 
ber 30, and the season for duck, pigeon, &c., from July 15 
to February 1. A licence to shoot deer and other game 
can be obtained from the manager for 20s., which entitles 
the holder to three buck and as much other game as he 
cares to shoot in season ; or a separate licence to shoot 
game other than deer can be obtained for 10s. No extra 
licence for fishing is required. The best pigeon-shooting 
is obtainable from the middle of August to the end of 
September, the birds flighting in large numbers at that 
time ; and the best tarpon fishing is obtainable between 
September and the end of February. A method of catching 
fish, lobsters, &c, peculiar to Barbuda, is practised in the 
lagoon near the village. Brushwood is piled in heaps at 
selected spots in the lagoon and allowed to remain un- 
disturbed for two or three weeks ; these heaps attract 
lobsters and fish in great numbers. Whenever it is con- 
sidered desirable to obtain fish, these heaps are encircled 
by nets. This having been done, the men dive overboard 
and remove all the brushwood. The nets are then gathered 
into a boat bringing large numbers of fish and lobsters with 
them, as many as 200 lobsters being sometimes taken from 
one heap of brushwood. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Barbuda has only one village — 
Codrington village — which is about three miles from the 
River Anchorage on the east side of a large lagoon. It has 
about 850 inhabitants, who are the descendants of the 
slaves introduced by Colonel Codrington. Most of their 
huts are of a primitive type, being built of wattle and plaster 
with thatched roofs. Each hut is enclosed within its own 
little stockade, and the whole appearance of the village is 
typically African. These conditions are, however, rapidly 
changing owing to the growing prosperity of the islanders, 
many of whom now emigrate to the United States of America 
and to Panama, and with the money made there return to 
their native island and build themselves substantial houses 



REDONDA 3" 

of stone and wood roofed with galvanised iron. The villagers 
are a fine upstanding body of people, the majority of the 
men being over six feet in height. They are renowned as 
fearless sailors, great swimmers and keen fishermen, they 
make good hunters, and stock- and axe-men, but are no good 
as mechanics, taking little or no interest in such work. The 
women are in the majority, as the men leave the island in 
search of work in Antigua or elsewhere. They only have 
squatter rights on the island, but this entails no hardship 
upon them as they are not called upon to pay any rates or 
taxes, and are allowed to enclose as much land as they care 
to take up. 

It is chiefly with the object of enjoying the sport which 
it affords that visitors occasionally patronise Barbuda, but 
they are unlikely to leave its shores without inspecting the 
Cotton Ginnery, the Anglican Church, and the Government 
Stock Farm. There are also two old forts which command 
attention, one at the River Anchorage with a fine Martello 
tower, and the other at Spanish Point at the south-east 
extremity of the island. 



REDONDA 

The Round Island 

GENERAL ASPECT. Like Barbuda, Redonda, an isolated 
rock a mile long and a third of a mile broad, and rising to a 
height of iooo feet, is a dependency of Antigua. 

It is valuable on account of its deposits of phosphate of 
alumina, which were discovered in 1865 and are now being 
worked by the Redonda Phosphate Company under licence 
subject to the payment of 6d. per ton royalty. The exports 
now amount to nearly 7000 tons annually. This " lonely 
rock," as Charles Kings ley described it in " At Last," is 
rarely if ever visited by tourists, for whom it has little to 
recommend it. 



312 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

ST. CHRISTOPHER or ST. KITTS 

The Mother Colony of the British West Indies 

GENERAL ASPECT. St. Kitts, which forms one Presi- 
dency with Nevis and Anguilla under the Government of 
the Leeward Islands, lies in latitude 17 18' N. and longi- 
tude 62 48' W., 45 miles to the west of Antigua. It is 
about 23 miles long, and has a total area of 68 square 
miles. Its population is 26,283. The island is purely- 
volcanic, and consequently very mountainous. The central 
part consists of a range of rugged mountains running south- 
east and north-west, which culminates in Mount Misery, 
371 1 feet high. These mountains, which are clothed with 
bush and grass, run down to the coast, and their lower 
slopes are densely cultivated in sugar-canes. The main 
range at its south-east end breaks into a semicircle 
which encloses a fertile plain, at the south-west of which 
is Basseterre, the capital of the island, situated on 
the shore of an open roadstead. At the south-east 
corner there extends a narrow isthmus not more than 
a mile or a mile and a half wide, which expands into a 
knob of land containing salt ponds. A strait called the 
Narrows, scarcely two miles in width, separates St. Kitts 
from Nevis at this point, while in between them is a 
tiny islet called Booby Island. On the lower levels the 
soil of St. Kitts is naturally rich and highly fertile. The 
soil on the east is stronger than that on the west, owing, 
it is believed, to volcanic activity having occurred during 
the prevalence of the trade-winds and to the consequent 
deposit of volcanic matter. The island is well watered, 
and Richard Blome's description of it, written in 1672, 
still holds goods : " The land lieth high and mountainous 
in the mid ft from which fpringeth feveral Rivers, which 
oft-times by reafon of the Raines that falleth down the 
mountaines, are overflown to the detriment of the inhabi- 
tants." During the heavy rains, " washes " sometimes 
occur which do much harm to cultivation. 

INDUSTRIES. Sugar is the chief industry of St. Kitts, 
where the old-fashioned muscovado variety is produced 



ST. CHRISTOPHER OR ST. KITTS 



313 



to perfection on numerous small but very well-kept 
estates all round the island. A central Sugar Factory was 
opened near Basseterre on February 20, 19 12, by a com- 
pany called the St. Kitts (Basseterre) Sugar Factory 
Limited ; and vacuum-pan sugar is also made on 
" Brighton " estate on the north coast of the island. 
Sea Island cotton is now successfully grown on several 
plantations, and it has been found that it can be used with 
advantage as an alternate or " catch crop " in rotation 
with sugar. Cocoa is also being grown in the more favoured 
and sheltered parts. 

The principal exports in the year 19 12 were as follows : 

Value. 

Sugar, tons . . 11,130 . • £111,679 

Molasses, puns . 2,339 • • 7»° l8 

Cotton, lbs. . . 782,993 . . . 55,0*3 

Of the exports £91,272 in value went to the United Kingdom, 

£75,429 to British Colonies, and £21,260 to Foreign Countries. 



FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
Presidency is shown by the following comparative table 
of its revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports, 
for the last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports.* 


Exports.* 




1 


i 


£ 


i 


1903-4 . 


39,126 


44,782 


137,074 


121,888 


1904-5 . 


43,905 


42,922 


141,629 


141,248 


1905-6 • 


48,330 


45,234 


162,950 


215,227 


1906-7 


49.613 


47,228 


158,818 


160,195 


1907-8 


50,35i 


47,170 


180,347 


189,903 


1908-9 


47,913 


46,443 


184,002 


180,539 


1909-10 . 


48,122 


47,932 


172,220 


182,446 


1910-11 . 


52,748 


49,872 


195,277 


205,693 


1911-12 . 


58,002 


50,737 


306,666 


190,747 


1912-13 . 


57,228 


53,5o8 


252,637 


187,961 



* Calendar years 1 903-1 91 2. 

CLIMATE. St. Kitts is decidedly healthy, malaria being 
almost unknown among the inhabitants. The temperature 



314 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

varies from 66° to 88° Fahr. The annual rainfall is 50 to 
90 inches; the birth-rate is about 30, and the death-rate 
29 per 1000. 

HISTORY. St. Kitts was discovered by Columbus on 
his second voyage in 1493, and was called by him St. 
Christopher, because, it is said, he saw in its configuration 
a resemblance to that saint carrying our Saviour. The 
Caribs used to call it Liamuiga, or the Fertile Island. The 
island was also called Merwar's Hope, a name obviously 
compounded from the first syllables of the surnames of 
Ralph Merrifield, who arranged and fitted out the expedi- 
tion to it, and of its coloniser, Thomas Warner. 

Though Barbados was nominally taken possession of in 
1605, a permanent settlement of that island was not effected 
until twenty-one years later, and therefore St. Kitts, which 
was settled by Mr. (afterwards Sir) Thomas Warner at the 
suggestion of Captain Thomas Painton, a seaman " as 
enthusiastic as he was experienced," in 1623, can claim the 
honour of being the mother colony of the British West 
Indies. Warner revisited England, and, on his return in 
1625 with a number of settlers, he landed on the same day 
as D'Esnambuc, a privateering sailor from Dieppe, and in 
the face of a common foe, the Caribs, the English and 
French colonists settled down side by side, the former in 
the middle of the island and the latter at either end. A 
fierce battle was fought with the Caribs, who though 
numerous were eventually decimated, the survivors being 
chased into the sea. The Spaniards resented the French 
and English establishing themselves so strongly, and in 
1629, with a fleet of thirty-eight ships, they nearly anni- 
hilated the growing colonies. The French left for Antigua 
and the English were deported. A few of the sturdy 
French settlers remained, however, and, when the Spanish 
fleet left, D'Esnambuc re-established his colony. During 
the war between France and England, the French attacked 
their neighbours and conquered the whole island, in spite 
of the assistance rendered to the Governor by Colonel 
Morgan, the uncle and father-in-law of the redoubtable 
buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan, afterwards Lieutenant- 
Governor of Jamaica. The English part of the island was, 



ST. CHRISTOPHER OR ST. KITTS 315 

however, restored to its former owners by the Peace of 
Breda in 1667. In 1689 the English were again expelled, 
but a year later the Barbadian baronet, Sir Timothy Thorn- 
hill, took the whole of the island, and it remained in 
England's possession for seven years, when the French had 
the portion which they formerly owned restored to them by 
the Treaty of Ryswick, in 1697. England again became sole 
mistress of the island in 1702, when the French capitulated 
to General Hamilton ; and a French invasion four years later 
having proved futile, the whole of St. Kitts was ceded to 
Great Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1 7 1 3 . The French 
possessions in the island were publicly sold for the benefit 
of the English Government, and in 1733 ^80,000 of the 
money realised was appropriated as a marriage portion for 
Princess Anne, who was betrothed to the Prince of Orange. 
In 1782 the French laid siege to St. Kitts and captured it, 
notwithstanding Sir Samuel Hood's meeting with De 
Grasse in the Basseterre Roads on January 25, when 
the French admiral was completely outmanoeuvred, an 
event described by Captain Marian as one of the finest feats 
in the annals of naval warfare. Hood induced his opponent 
to leave his anchorage, and, cleverly tacking, brought his 
ships to anchor at the precise spot which the French had 
just quitted, a manoeuvre which was watched by a large 
number of onlookers from the slopes of Nevis. The island 
was, however, restored to England by the Treaty of Ver- 
sailles in 1783, which followed Rodney's victory over De 
Grasse off Dominica on April 12, 1782. St. Kitts has been 
British ever since, although it was raided by Villeneuve 
in 1805, just before the battle of Trafalgar. 

CONSTITUTION. The Government of St. Kitts, Nevis 
and Anguilla is administered by an officer entitled the 
Administrator. There is one Executive Council for the 
Presidency, consisting of the Governor, the Administrator, 
the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Auditor- 
General, and such persons as his Majesty may from time 
to time appoint. The legislative body is styled the Legisla- 
tive Council of St. Christopher and Nevis, and consists of 
six official and six nominated unofficial members, besides 
the Governor and the Administrator ; of the unofficials not 



3 i6 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

more than five may be appointed from among the people 
of St. Kitts and Anguilla and one at least is selected from 
Nevis. The Governor, or in his absence the Administrator, 
presides, and the President of the Council enjoys an original 
and also a casting vote. The Council meets in annual 
sessions at Basseterre in St. Kitts, and is convened at such 
times as the Governor or Administrator sees fit to appoint. 

Administrators since 1888 

J. S. Churchill (commissioner) 1888 

T. Risely Griffiths, C.M.G. 1895 

Charles T. Cox, C.M.G. 1899 

Sir Robert Bromley, Bart. 1904 

T. L. Roxburgh, C.M.G. 1906 

HOTELS. Basseterre. The Seaside Hotel, pleasantly 
situated on the beach near the Treasury and wharf. Board 
and lodging, 8s. <\d. per day for a stay of a week's duration ; 
for a longer visit special arrangements can be made. The 
Newstead Hotel, at which the terms are about the same, is 
situated in Church Street, about two minutes' walk from 
the wharf. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. St. Kitts is served by 
the steamship companies numbered 1, 7, 13, and 19 in the 
list given on pages 14 to 27. The boat fare from steamer 
to the shore is is. per passenger. Good carriages can be 
obtained from the stables of Mr. Seaton, near St. George's 
Church, in Basseterre. Tariff : Pair-horse Victoria to carry 
four persons, for the drive round the island, £2 ; to 
Brimstone Hill and back, £1 13s. 4^. Buggy to carry 
three persons : round the island, £1 13s. 4^. ; Brimstone 
Hill and back, £1 . Buggy to seat two persons : round 
the island, £1 ; Brimstone Hill and back, 12s. 6d. Car- 
riages can also be hired from Mr. D. Matheson. Tariff : 
Carriage with two ponies, to hold four, 2s. 6d. per mile, 
8s. 4^. per hour, or £1 13s. 4^. per day ; or round the 
island to Brimstone Hill and back, £1 5s. A buggy to hold 
two persons can be hired at half of the above rates. The 
minimum charge for carriages is 8s. 4^., and for buggies 



ST. CHRISTOPHER OR ST. KITTS 31; 

55. Bicycles, for which the road round the island is well 
suited, can be obtained at a charge of 2s. per hour. A few 
motor-cars can also be hired. 

SPORTS. St. Kitts has a cricket and lawn-tennis club, 
to which visitors with a satisfactory introduction are 
welcome. It is possible to obtain a little shooting, and 
boating can always be had when the weather is fine. 

CLUBS. The St. Kitts Club in the Town Square is hos- 
pitable to visitors, and there is a Free Public Library near the 
Court-house at which the latest English papers and maga- 
zines are to be found. Visitors are also welcomed by the 
members of the newly formed Colonial Club. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Basseterre (population 9019), 
which was completely destroyed by fire in 1867, was rebuilt 
in a greatly improved style. The houses are mostly of 
wood, but many are constructed of a greyish stone or of a 
rough-hewed stone covered with plaster, with the upper 
parts of wood. The streets, which are lighted at night by 
oil-lamps, are wide and clean. There is a serviceable 
telephone round the island. Blome in 1672 described 
Basseterre, which was then the French capital, as : 

A Town of a good bignefs, whofe Houfes are well built, of Brick, 
Free/tone, and Timber : where the Merchants have their Store- 
houfes, and is well Inhabited by Trade/men, and are well ferved 
with fuch Commodities, both for the Back, and Belly, together 
with Utenfils for their Houfes, and Plantations, as they have 
occafion of, in exchange for fuch Commodities which are the 
product of the If land. Here is a fair, and large Church, as alfo a 
publique-Hall, for the adminiftration of Juftice ; Here is alfo a 
very fair Hofpital. Here is alfo a ftately Caftle, being the 
Ref idence of the Governor, moft plesfantly f eated, at the foot of a 
high Mountain, not far from the Sea, having fpacious Courts, 
delightful Walks, and Gardens, and enjoyeth a curious profpect. 

After landing at the pier one enters the town through an 
arch in the centre of the Treasury Building in which the 
Administrator's Office, the Custom House and Treasury, and 
the Post Office are located. The Town Square or Circus con- 
tains a memorial clock and fountain put up to the memory of 
the Hon. T. B. Berkeley, for many years a member of the 
Legislative Council of the colony, and a prominent citizen. 



318 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

It is surrounded by tall and graceful cabbage palms. It is 
inscribed : 

THIS 

DRINKING FOUNTAIN 

Has been erected by the 

countrymen and private 

friends of the late the 

Honourable Thomas 

Berkeley Hardtman 

Berkeley, Companion 

of the Most distinguished 

order of Saint Michael 

and St. George, and 

President of the General 

Legislative Council of 

the Leeward Islands, in 

recognition of the many 

valuable services he 
rendered this his native 

land as a planter, a 
Politician and a Citizen. 

His sterling qualities, 

his love for this island 

and his deep interest in the 

welfare of the community 

at large, entitle him to 

A Memorial, by which his 

Memory will be preserved 

and perpetuated. 

born, 14TH January 

1824 

died, 6th November 

1881. 

The prettiest feature of the town is undoubtedly Pall Mall 
Square, with a cool garden in its centre, which is laid out 
with tropical trees of great beauty and has a fountain. On 
one side of the square is the Court-house, where the Legisla- 
ture meets and justice is administered. Near by is a Free 
Library, in which there are several portraits and pictures 
of interest, including a signed engraving of the Right Hon. 
Joseph Chamberlain, which is justly prized, and a re- 
novated picture of the meeting between Sir Samuel Hood 
and De Grasse in Basseterre Roads in 1782, to which refer- 
ence is made above, from the description of an eye-witness 
on the slopes of the neighbouring island of Nevis. 



ST. CHRISTOPHER OR ST. KITTS 319 

Government House is a large rambling building in 
Basseterre ; but the Administrator usually resides at 
" Springfield," a charming house on rising ground a mile or 
so beyond the town. The Church of St. George's stands at 
the back of the town. It was rebuilt after the fire of 1867. 
The original church was built by the French in 1670, and 
it came into Anglican possession in 171 3 at the Peace of 
Utrecht. Though a strong stone building, it succumbed 
to the hurricane in 1843. A new church was started on 
a different site, and its foundations may be seen in the 
churchyard. It was not, however, completed, and the 
present church is a restoration of one built in 1856, that 
was destroyed by the fire of 1867 which laid Basseterre in 
ashes. On the west wall there are the remains of what 
have been two handsome monumental tablets, and several 
very old tombstones in the floor of the south transept 
date from the beginning of the eighteenth century. One 
or two Governors lie buried in the churchyard, but some 
years ago a flood of rain swept over the mountains and 
washed a great deal of sand into the town, and many tomb- 
stones were thus covered up. 

The Botanic Station, to the west of Basseterre, and the 
Signalling Fort form a pleasant afternoon's drive along the 
Bay Road, which was constructed during the Governorship 
of Sir William Haynes-Smith. The Botanic Station was 
established in the latter part of 1899, on land which formed 
part of a sugar estate, La Guerite, purchased by the local 
Government. 

Brimstone Hill (779 ft.), a dismantled fortress ten miles 
from Basseterre, is deeply interesting. The hill is a mass of 
limestone overlying volcanic rock some 700 feet in height, 
which looks to the uninitiated as if it had been ejected en 
bloc from the craters of the central mountains of St. Kitts. 
Records in the island show that it was bought by the Govern- 
ment for ^500, and that the principal fortifications were 
built by slave labour, each estates proprietor furnishing 
one out of every eighty slaves he possessed, for the purpose 
of their erection. Guns were first planted on the Hill by 
Sir Timothy Thornhill in 1690, and at a later date it was 
fortified by fifty pieces of cannon. 



320 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Though the massive fortifications were not completed 
until twelve years later, Brimstone Hill was considered one 
of the strongest posts in the West India islands when the 
memorable attack was made upon it in 1782. On January 
1 1 of that year the Marquis de Bouille, supported by De 
Grasse, landed 8000 men at St. Kitts. The garrison, under 
General Fraser, which did not exceed 600 men, at once 
retired to the hill, and was reinforced by Governor Thomas 
Shirley with 350 men of the Militia. In spite of Sir Samuel 
Hood's brilliant manoeuvre on January 25, when he attacked 
De Grasse and took the anchorage at Basseterre which that 
gallant admiral had just left, the hill was closely invested. 
The inhabitants of St. Kitts, who warmly sympathised with 
the revolted American colonists, showed " a real or tacit 
and understood neutrality from the first arrival of the 
enemy." The French disembarked powerful artillery, 
which was destined for an attack on Barbados, at 
Sandy Point, but the ship containing the heaviest and 
most effective part of it struck the rocks and sank. They 
were lucky enough, however, to find eight brass twenty-four 
pounders, 6000 balls of that calibre, two 13 -in. brass mortars 
and 15,000 shells which had not been carried up to the 
works owing to carelessness on the part of the defenders, 
waiting for them at the foot of the hill. These proved 
" a most seasonable and necessary supply to them in the 
prosecution of the siege." The French had their head- 
quarters at Sandy Point, but the defenders plied their 
heavy cannon and mortars with such effect that the town 
was soon destroyed. Batteries were multiplied on batteries 
all round the hill ; by day and night they cannonaded and 
bombarded the garrison, and the fire of twenty-three pieces 
of heavy cannon and twenty-four large mortars was con- 
centrated on a spot of ground not exceeding 200 yards in 
diameter. Small wonder that the garrison, who displayed 
the greatest fortitude and patience, and lost only one man 
through desertion, were compelled to capitulate, which 
they did on February 13. They were accorded honours 
of war in the fullest sense, and every condition proposed, 
whether in favour of the garrison or the island of St. Kitts, 
was agreed to. The men of the 1st Battalion of the Royal 



ST. CHRISTOPHER OR ST. KITTS 321 

Scots and the flank companies of the 15th Regiment were 
sent to England pending their exchange, and the Marquis 
de BouiUe with his wonted magnanimity absolved by 
a particular article, as " an avowed acknowledgment of their 
gallantry," Governor Shirley and Brigadier-General Fraser 
from the condition of being considered prisoners of war 
Governor Shirley was allowed to return to Antigua, and 
General Fraser to continue in the service of his country * 

The gates bear the dates 1793-1794— an anxious time 
m English history. The fortress was abandoned at the 
time of the Crimean War, just over half a century ago It 
is still possible to trace the ruins of the various buildings 
and among the people of St. Kitts there are several who 
recollect partaking of the garrison's hospitality on this 
spot, now deserted and overgrown in many places with bush 
in which fragrant-smelling myrrh is found in profusion' 
It is not advisable to leave the beaten paths, though a 
ramble to the reservoir is interesting. This reservoir 
which is built of solid masonry, provided an abundance of 
water for the garrison for many months. The local Govern- 
ment have of late devoted a small annual grant to the 
preservation of the fortress. When much of the bush and 
undergrowth was cleared away the ruins of many buildings 
the existence of which had been forgotten, were brought to 
light. Among others were a hospital and barracks, which it it 
said, had only just been completed when the hill was aban- 
doned. A profitable lime-burning industry is carried on 
by the Government, under the charge of the Director of 
Public Works, at the foot of the hill. 

Monkey Hill (1319 ft.) is a small mountain a few miles 
from Basseterre. Sir Timothy's Hill repays a visit It 
is interesting, as having been the scene of a spirited action 
between the English and French when Major-General 
Sir Timothy Thornhill, who had landed at Frigate Bay 
captured the island in 1690. An excursion to Mount 
Misery (371 1 ft.), the extinct volcano which dominates 
St. Kitts, requires a day. The descent into the crater can 

riln A 5Wt °J- th€ pliant defence of Brimstone Hill is 
and Co * ° f ° lcL " London > Duckworth 



322 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

be made without danger. At the Weir, a short distance 
from Basseterre, monkey shooting can be indulged in. 

The drive Round the Island is an expedition which 
every visitor to St. Kitts should make. The distance is 
30 miles and the time required is from 4 to ^ hours. 
Crossing the plain of Basseterre to the north-east of the 
island, one passes the large Central Sugar Factory (1 
mile), belonging to a company called the St. Kitts (Basse- 
terre) Sugar Factory Limited, which was opened in 191 2. 
It is equipped with the most modern machinery and has 
about 19 miles of light railway for bringing the canes to 
the mill. The capacity of the factory is 8000 tons of sugar, 
and during crop time the buildings present a busy aspect. 
Permission to view the factory can be readily obtained by 
visitors with suitable introductions. Five miles farther 
are the Brighton Sugar Works, where vacuum-pan sugar 
is also made. The road from here onwards keeps quite 
near the coast. Several well- cultivated muscovado sugar 
estates are passed. At Molyneux an experiment with 
cocoa planting was made recently. Estridge estate buildings, 
about i£ miles farther, afford a notable example of the 
substantial work done with the help of slave labour by the 
old settlers. Below Bellevue estate a halt should be made 
at Black Rocks (12 miles from Basseterre). These rocks 
consist of huge masses of lava standing out in the sea, 
against which the deep blue water dashes itself into white 
foam. The rocks extend along the coast for a distance of 
about half a mile. Continuing the drive past the village 
of Dieppe or Deep Bay, two fine sugar estates, Willetts 
(right) and Belmont (left), are passed, and to the left one 
obtains a fine view of the central mountain to the edge of 
the crater, with a stretch of well- cultivated sugar lands on 
its lower slopes. At a distance of about 5 miles across 
the channel on the right is the little Dutch crater island of 
St. Eustatius. Proceeding, the rugged mass of Brimstone 
Hill (779 ft.) soon comes into sight, with its fortifications 
plainly visible, standing guard over the small town of 
Sandy Point (20 miles from Basseterre round the island). 
Sandy Point is now a town of small consequence, but St. 
Anne's Church deserves a visit, as it contains several 



ST. CHRISTOPHER OR ST. KITTS 323 

interesting mural tablets to the memory of officers who 
died on Brimstone Hill. These and the tombstones on the 
hill itself remind the visitor what a scourge yellow fever 
was in the old days. The ruins of the dwellings of former 
merchants and of storehouses furnish evidence of the former 
prosperity of the town. The Leper Asylum is next 
reached. It occupies an old fort — one of the outworks of 
Brimstone Hill. The road skirts the foot of the hill quite 
close to the sea, and a smell of sulphur reminds one of the 
existence of a submerged crater near by. 

The next place which deserves a visit is St. Thomas' 
Church, at Middle Island (3 miles farther), in the churchyard 
of which — under a roof to protect it from the elements — is 
the tomb of Sir Thomas Warner, the founder of the colony. 
This great coloniser died at St. Kitts on March 10, 1648, 
universally respected. His tomb is inscribed : 

An Epitaph vpon The 

Noble & Mvch Lamented Gent' Sir 

Tho Warner K Lievtenant 

General of y e Carribee 

Ieland & Gover r of y e 

Ieland of S* Christ 

who departed this 

life the 10 of 

March 1648. 

First Read, then weepe when thou art hereby taught, 
That Warner lyes interr'd here, one that bought, 
With losse of Noble bloud the Illustrious Name, 
Of A Comander Greate in Acts of Fame. 
Trayn'd from his youth in Armes, his Courage bold 
Attempted braue Exploites, and Vncontrold 
By fortunes fiercest frownes, hee still gaue forth 
Large Narratiues of Military worth. 
Written with his sword's poynt but what is man 
midst of his glory and who can 
this Life A moment since that hee 
by Sea and Land so longe kept free 
mortal strokes at length did yeeld 
ace) to conquering Death the field, 
fine Coronat. 

The church is the parish church of Old Road, a place which 
derives its name from the involuntary exclamation of 
Columbus upon his second visit to St. Kitts, " Ah ! we 



324 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

are at the old road again." In the course of the drive 
many ravines are crossed by winding roads made during 
the French occupation of the island. The protecting walls 
were so solidly built that they still remain practically intact. 
At West Farm estate and on the adjacent lands Sea 
Island cotton cultivation can be inspected. The island of 
Nevis can now be seen in the distance, and one gets a view 
of Basseterre and its historic roadstead as the drive draws 
to a close. 

NEVIS 

Nelson's Island 

GENERAL ASPECT. The island of Nevis (Nievis, or 
Mevis, as it used to be called in the old days) is separated 
from St. Kitts by a narrow strait only 2 miles wide, but 
from Basseterre, St. Kitts, to Charlestown, the capital of 
Nevis, the distance is 1 3 miles. The area of NeviSj which 
is situated between latitudes 17 05' and 17 13' N. and 
longitudes 62 31' and 62 37' W. is 38 square miles, and the 
population 1 2, 945 . Like St. Kitts the island is volcanic, and 
the general characteristics of both the islands somewhat 
resemble one another, but Nevis is to a great extent covered 
with volcanic ashes from former eruptions, while St. Kitts 
is almost free from them. Nevis is practically one large 
mountain cone rising to a height of 3596 feet. 

INDUSTRIES. As in St. Kitts, sugar is the principal 
industry in Nevis, but of late years the exports of this 
commodity have been steadily declining in value. The 
cultivation of Sea Island cotton is, on the other hand, 
progressing. Yams, sweet potatoes, corn, &c, are also 
cultivated to a considerable extent. The trade statistics 
of the island are included with those of St. Kitts {see 

CLIMATE. The climate of Nevis is very similar to that 
of St. Kitts, though the rainfall is less, the average for thirty 
years being only 53 inches. The thermometer ranges 
between 70 ° and 85 ° Fahr. during the greater part of the 
year. There are practically no streams in the island, and 



NEVIS 325 

the water-supply is derived from a catchment area of about 
60 acres in extent high up on the mountain and stored in 
public reservoirs, which furnish Charlestown and some 
country districts with good water. 

HISTORY. Nevis was discovered by Columbus in 1493, 
on his second voyage, and was so called by him owing to 
the cloud-capped summit of its peak, which reminded him 
of snow. The island was included in the grant to the Earl 
of Carlisle in 1627, and colonised by the English from St. 
Kitts in the following year. In 1629 the settlement was 
nearly destroyed by the Spaniards, and in 1706 it was 
ravaged by the French, who destroyed property to the 
value of half a million, and carried off between three and 
four thousand slaves. The island was taken by the French 
under the Marquis de Bouille in 1782, but restored to Great 
Britain by the Treaty of Versailles in the following year. 

CONSTITUTION. Nevis forms part of the Presidency 
of St. Christopher and Nevis, which also includes the 
island of Anguilla. They were united by a Federal Act 
of the Leeward Islands Legislature in 1882. 

Magistrate 
Mr. Charles C. Greaves . . . .1911 

HOTELS. Charlestown. The Bath House Hotel, 
recently reopened, is recommended. Board and lodging, 
12s. 6d. per day, including use of the baths (see under 
Principal Sights). Special terms can be quoted for families 
or for a lengthened stay out of season. The hotels of 
Mrs. Davoren and Mrs. Daniell offer fair but limited accom- 
modation. Board and lodging 65. per day, or £2 2s. per 
week. Special terms for families or for a lengthened visit. 
Visitors provided with good references can also obtain 
lodgings with private families and live en pension. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. The island is served 
by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's inter-colonial 
steamers. It can also be reached from St. Kitts by 
sloop. The boat fare from steamer to the shore is is. per 
passenger. Several merchants in Charlestown have good 
buggies with one or two horses ; no fixed tariff is adhered 



326 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

to, but is. per mile is the usual fare. For the drive round 
the island, a distance of 20 miles, £1 os. lod. is the usual 
fare ; but for shorter distances a special agreement has to 
be made beforehand. Riding horses can be obtained for 
about is. per hour. Communication with St. Kitts was for 
a time effected by the subsidised motor-launch Windrush, 
but this service is, only temporarily it is hoped, suspended. 

SPORTS. Golf can be played on a nine-hole course 
laid out by the proprietors of the Bath House, who have 
also provided lawn-tennis courts for the amusement of 
their guests. Excellent boating is obtainable, and the 
rates for boat hire are low. Good fishing can also be had. 
There is not much shooting, but on occasions in the fall of 
the year nights of plover give fair sport, and in the high 
lands mountain doves, as well as blue and ramier pigeons, 
can be obtained. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Charlestown, the capital 
(population 1050), which lies on the shore of a wide-curving 
bay, calls for no particular remark, though the remains of 
the house in which Alexander Hamilton, the great American 
statesman who drafted the Constitution of the United 
States, was born on January 11, 1757, are pointed out. 
The ancestral estate, about \\ miles to the south-east of 
the town, is still called "Hamiltons." In St. Paul's 
Church there is a window to the memory of the Right 
Rev. Daniel Gateward Davis, the first Bishop of Antigua, 
who had been previously Rector of the parish. He was 
consecrated in 1842, when the diocese of Antigua was 
separated from that of Barbados, and he died in London in 
1857. A tombstone marks the vault which is the last 
resting-place of John Huggins (1 763-1 821), the founder of 
the Bath House, to which reference is made on the next 
page. It is inscribed : 

Here lies the body of John Huggins, Esquire, who died on the 
6th day of December, 1821, aged 58 years. He began a career 
of usefulness as a merchant in this town. In private life he was 
a firm friend, an affectionate husband, and a sincere Christian. 
In public life he gave universal satisfaction as Clerk of the 
Assembly and Deputy Treasurer of this island. Not many 
years before his death he became proprietor of the hot springs 
over which, out of good will towards his fellow creatures, he 



NEVIS 32; 

erected convenient baths, and, at a short distance a large and 
expensive stone edifice for the accommodation of invalids. This 
stone was put up by his widow. 

The old Bath House Hotel, a conspicuous building a 
little more than £ mile to the south - west of Charles- 
town, should certainly be inspected. It serves as a link 
with the past, when Nevis was the most popular island 
in the Caribbean for white people and a fashionable health 
resort. It is here that the famous hot springs known as 
" The Bath " are situated, which have a temperature of 
108 Fahr., and prove of undoubted efficacy in the treat- 
ment of gout, lumbago, sciatica, and kindred ills to which 
the flesh is heir. 

The Bath House was erected by John Huggins, a merchant 
of Charlestown, whose remains lie in a vault in St. Paul's 
Church {see previous page), late in the eighteenth century. 
The actual date of its construction is not known, but on a 
stone the numbers 17 — ■ are still clearly decipherable, and 
the others might be 87 or 89. It is stated to have cost 
£40,000, and there is no reason to doubt this, for it is very 
solidly built of stone — so solidly, indeed, that it has with- 
stood the earthquakes and hurricanes of over a century. 
The architect evidently sought to combine strength with 
coolness, for it has lofty vaulted roofs, stone corridors, and 
wide verandahs. The rooms too are exceedingly spacious 
and airy. For many years it was the fashionable health 
resort of the West Indies, but during the days of depression 
after the abolition of slavery it fell into disrepair and it was 
closed in 1870. Owing, however, to the enterprise of its 
present owners, Messrs. Gillespie Bros, and Co., of London 
and New York, it has reopened its doors and is again 
receiving the patronage of many visitors. The view from 
the verandahs over a wide expanse of sea, the town and 
the whole length of St. Kitts, with St. Eustatius beyond, is 
quite enchanting. 

"The Bath " has also been restored and is now once more 
well patronised. Immediately above it a cooling lounge 
with open verandah is provided, which adds to the comfort 
of bathers. Mr. John C. Thresh, who recently analysed the 
water, reported that it closely resembled that from the Wild- 



328 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

bad Thermal Springs of Wurtemburg, which are extensively 
used for chronic rheumatism and gout ; and he added that it 
contained no constituent which would render it deleterious 
for drinking purposes, and that he found it free from any 
signs of pollution. The analysis of the thermal water gave 
the following results, expressed in parts per 100,000 : 



Calcium carbonate 






14.0 


Magnesium carbonate . 






15-7 


Sodium carbonate 






5-65 


Potassium sulphate 






3-i 


Sodium sulphate 






3-55 


Sodium chloride 






13.55 


Sodium nitrate . 






3-3 


Silica with trace of sodium silicate 




• 4-85 



Total solid constituents dried at 180 C. =63.0 63.7 



The efficacy of the waters was recognised as far back as 
1625 by " Robert Harcourt of Stanton Harcourt in the 
County of Oxford, Esquire," who in his " Relation of the 
Voyage to Guiana," published in Purchas' Voyages, says of 
" Meues " (Nevis) : 

In this Island there is an hot Bath, which as well for the 
reports that I have heard, as also for that I have seene and 
found by experience, I doe hold for one of the best and most 
sovereigne in the World. I have heard that divers of our 
Nation have there been cured of the Leprosie, and that one of 
the same persons now, or lately dwelt at Woolwich neere the 
River of Thames, by whom the truth may be knowne, if any 
man desire to be further satisfied therein. As for my own 
experience, although it was not much, yet the effects that I 
found it work both in my selfe, and other of my company in 
two dayes space, doe cause me to conceive the best of it. For 
at my coming thither, I was grievously vexed with an extreme 
cough, which I much feared would turne me to great harme, but 
bathing in the Bath, and drinking the water, I was speedily 
cured ; and ever since that time I have found the state of my 
body (I give God thankes for it) farre exceeding what it was 
before, in strength and health. 

Again, in 1672 Richard Blome wrote of the springs as 
being " much frequented for the curing of the several 



NEVIS 329 

distempers of the Body of Man." The Rev. Mr. Smith, in 
his " Natural History of Nevis," 1745, tells how it cured a 
negro boy of leprosy. " Indeed all distempered People, 
both Whites and Blacks, find great benefit by it " ; and he 
adds that after a bath and exposure to the trade- wind, and 
after partaking of half a pint of Madeira wine, he " was 
almost as nimble as Mountebank's Tumbler." Grainger 
in 1802 stated that the waters possessed all the properties 
of the Hot-well at Bristol. It was round the visitors to 
the Bath House, early in the nineteenth century, that the 
plot of " The Gorgeous Isle " was woven by Gertrude 
Atherton, who also deals at some length with Nevis in 
" The Conqueror." 

It is in the country that the chief attractions of Nevis 
lie. Fig Tree Church (2 miles from pier), where the 
Register containing the entry of the certificate of Nelson's 
marriage to Mrs. Nisbet, a resident of Nevis, is kept, is 
2 miles from Charlestown. The entry of the marriage 
certificate, which runs : " 1787, March 11, Horatio Nelson, 
Esquire, Captain of his Majesty's ship the Boreas, to 
Frances Herbert Nisbet, widow," is shown to visitors. 
This historic register was brought to London at the Colonial 
and Indian Exhibition in 1886, where it attracted much 
attention. At the time of her wedding the bride was in 
her twenty-third year, and her late husband, a doctor, had 
been dead for eighteen months. Prince William Henry, 
afterwards King William IV, gave the bride away. The 
church also contains a mural tablet bearing the following 
inscription : 

"William Woolward, Esq., of this island, died February 18th, 
1779. He married the daughter of Thomas Herbert, Esq., to 
whose joint memory this tablet is erected by their only daughter, 
Frances Herbert, who was first married to Josiah Nisbet, M.D., 
and since to Rear-Admiral Nelson who for his very distinguished 
services has been successively created a Knight of the Bath and 
a Peer of Great Britain by the title of Baron Nelson of the Nile." 

The ruins of Montpelier (2^- miles from pier), where 
Nelson's wedding was conducted, are also pointed out. 
The few remaining walls and gate pillars of the house are 
on private land belonging to Mr. J. H. Sampson, who 



330 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

readily gave permission for the simple tablet to be erected 
which marks this historic spot. It bears the inscription : 

On this site stood 
Montpelier House, 

WHEREIN 
ON THE IITH DAY OF MARCH 1 787, 

Horatio Nelson, 

of immortal memory, 

then Captain of H.M.S. Boreas, 

was married to 

Frances Herbert Nisbet. 

The hero's memory is also perpetuated by Nelson's 
Watering-place, a creek about 3 miles to the north 
of Charlestown ; a local tradition states that the future 
victor of Trafalgar could daily be seen with his spy- glass 
on Saddle Hill Peak and Battery (2^ miles by carriage, 
\ hour on foot) while he was in the island. 

About a quarter of a mile from Charlestown on rising 
ground is the old Queen's House, which is now the local 
hospital. 

The Jew's Burial Ground on the north of the Govern- 
ment road and to the south-west of " Ramsbury " estate, 
which has lately been cleared of bush by Mr. H. C. Huggins, 
has much historic interest. 

At St. Thomas', Lowland (about 3 miles from Charles- 
town), there is a curious old tombstone, rescued some years 
ago from an old Quaker burial ground at Pollards, by the 
late Hon. P. T. Huggins, on which is inscribed the following 
epitaph upon Captain Jacob Lake, who succeeded Sir 
Thomas Warner as Governor of Nevis : 

" Here lyes the Mirour of each martiall mind 

Religion who confirmed and refind 

In all his actions who was fortunate 

An atlas to support the weight of state 

This ilands safgard and her foes decrease 

The flower of armes and the tower of peace 

Now Nevis mourne reading this epitaph 

Here Jacob resteth and here lyes your staffe. 

Here lyeth the Body of Captaine 

Jacob Lake Esquier late Governour of this Iland Nevis 

who departed this life in October 1649." 



ANGUILLA 331 

By the side of this tombstone is another to the memory of 
Governor Lake's daughter. 

A drive Round the Island is to be recommended. The 
distance is 20 miles, and the time required from 3 to 4 hours. 
The road is excellent, and the views obtained en route sur- 
passingly attractive. To Newcastle at the extreme north of 
the island the distance is 7-$- miles. 

The ascent of Mount Nevis, or Nevis Peak (3596 ft.), 
though unattended with difficulty, should be under- 
taken by the able-bodied only. The view depends largely 
upon atmospheric conditions, there being frequently a 
cloud capping the summit. When the weather is favour- 
able, Barbuda, Redonda, St. Kitts, St. Eustatius, and Saba 
can be distinctly seen. Time should be considered as being 
of no object, and refreshments should be taken to beguile 
the tedium of the journey ! 



ANGUILLA 

The snakeless Snake Island 

GENERAL ASPECT. Anguilla, the most northerly of 
the Leeward Islands, about sixty miles north-west of St. 
Kitts, has an area of thirty-five square miles. The " Dogs " 
and neighbouring islets are dependencies of it. It consists 
of coral lying on trap rock and covered at irregular intervals 
by a mixture of red or yellow clay with coralline debris. 
Over about one-third of its area the coral is seen jutting 
out in boulders of various sizes, or stretching in belts from 
one side of the island to the other, and over another third 
there is but a thin layer of soil which is not sufficiently deep 
for agricultural purposes. The remaining third is very fertile. 

INDUSTRIES. Cotton is now being successfully culti- 
vated in the island, the chief industries of which have 
hitherto been the raising of live-stock and the production 
of salt and garden stock. 

CLIMATE. Anguilla, which has a population of 4400, 
is very healthy. 



332 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

HISTORY. The island, which derives its name from its 
resemblance to a snake, or possibly from its having been 
supposed to be infested with snakes, was discovered by 
Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. [It was colonised 
by the English in 1650. In 1689 the settlers, having been 
maltreated by the Irish and French, were transferred to 
Antigua. 



MONTSERRAT 

The Emerald Isle of the West 

GENERAL ASPECT. Montserrat, which lies in latitude 
16 45' N. and longitude 6i° W., 27 miles to the south-west 
of Antigua and 33 to 35 miles from Nevis, has an area of 
about 32^ square miles, and a population of 12,215. It 
is entirely volcanic, and has three groups of mountains, 
the highest elevation being the Soufriere (3002 ft.) in the 
southern part of the island. The hills rise in steady slopes 
from the sea, and are cultivated to a height of 1500 feet. 
The cultivated land is mainly on the western and south- 
eastern sides. A natural forest clothes the summits of 
the two main ranges, and as a consequence streams are 
plentiful ; but the northern hills being almost denuded 
of trees, the land in that part of the island is for the most 
part dry and unprofitable. Plymouth, the chief town 
(population 1461), stands on the south-west coast, and 
has an open roadstead ; behind it is St. George's Hill, 
standing out by itself. A peculiarity about the island is 
that its inhabitants speak with a distinct Irish brogue, 
which is traceable to the fact that in the seventeenth century 
the island was almost entirely peopled by Irish. 

INDUSTRIES. Sugar is still produced in Montserrat, 
but only to a small extent, and it no longer ranks as the 
principal industry. The cultivation of Sea Island cotton 
has now taken its place and many acres are devoted 
to this crop. The cultivation of limes, originally begun 
by Mr. Burke in 1852, has since been carried on by the 
well-known Birmingham family of Sturge, and though the 



MONTSERRAT 



333 



plantations were devastated by a hurricane on August 7, 
1899, they were with characteristic energy replanted, and 
the exports of limes and lime products have regained their 
former dimensions. Papain, the dried juice of the papaw, 
which is well known for its remarkable digestive qualities, 
is also being exported in considerable quantities. The 
principal exports in the year 19 14 (which went mainly to 
the United Kingdom) were as follows : 

Sea Island cotton, 289,234 lbs. . . £19,356 

Lime-juice and limes . . . 10,456 

Sugar, 104 tons . . . . 1,913 

Papain ...... 1 ,606 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
island is shown by the following comparative table of its 
revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports, for the 
last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




£ 


£ 


£ 


£ 


1903-4 . 


7.599 


9,361 


21,279 


16,424 


1904-5 . 


7,^37 


8,361 


20,885 


21,640 


1905-6 


7A33 


7,107 


18,053 


22,209 


1 906-7 


S,73^ 


6,578 


22,507 


22,486 


1907-8 


10,233 


8,5i5 


32,756 


35,103 


1908-9 


10,950 


8,796 


4 ,i32 


45,304 


1909-10 . 


10,612 


7,807 


3i,343 


34,569 


1910-11 . 


12,262 


11,365 


38,106 


34,393 


1911-12 . 


12,944 


10,030 


44,795 


55,930 


1912-13 . 


n,93 2 


10,556 


40,526 


42,053 



CLIMATE. The climate of Montserrat is comparatively 
cool and very healthy, there being no indigenous malaria 
in the island, owing, probably, to the fact that it is so well 
drained. Though the southern part is rather dry as the 
result of deforestation, the north has an abundance of water. 
The mean annual temperature is 78 Fahr., the rainfall from 
40 to 80 inches. The birth-rate is about 25 and the death- 
rate only 16 per 1000. 

HISTORY. Montserrat was discovered by Columbus in 
1493, on his second voyage, and named by him after a 



334 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

mountain near Barcelona in Spain. It was first colonised 
by the English under Sir Thomas Warner in 1632, but was 
captured from them by the French in 1664. In 1668 it 
was restored to England, in whose possession it remained 
until 1782, when it capitulated to the French. It was 
again ceded to England in 1784, and since that date it has 
remained a British colony. 

CONSTITUTION. Montserrat, which is one of the islands 
of the British Leeward Islands colony, has an Executive 
and a Legislative Council over which the Commissioner 
presides in the absence of the Governor. The King may 
appoint to the Council such persons, not exceeding four in 
all, as he may think fit, every councillor holding office 
during his Majesty's pleasure. 



Commissioners since 1872 




Neale Porter . . . 


1872 


John Spencer Churchill 


1887 


Edward Baynes ..... 


1899 


F. H. Watkins, I.S.O. 


1900 


Lt.-Col. W. B. Davidson Houston, C.M.G. 


1906 



HOTEL. Plymouth. Good accommodation can be got 
at Coco-nut Hill House, on a hill five minutes' walk from the 
town. Board and lodging, 8s. per day. Mr. Dudley Johnson, 
the proprietor, who is the Royal Mail Steam Packet Com- 
pany's agent, meets the steamers as a rule and pays great 
attention to the comfort of his guests. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Montserrat is served 
by the steamship companies numbered 1, 7 and 13 (see 
pages 14 to 27). The boat fare from steamer to the 
shore is 15. per passenger. Weekly communication is 
maintained with Antigua and St. Kitts by a Government 
contract sloop. There are good driving roads through the 
island, but no livery stables ; carriages and ponies can, 
however, always be obtained. 

SPORTS. There is -a, lawn-tennis club and also a good 
cricket club, to both of which visitors are admitted. There 
are, too, a few private lawn- tennis courts. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Plymouth, the capital (popula- 
tion 1 461) has few attractions for visitors. The 



MONTSERRAT 335 

churches, schools, and rectories in Montserrat all suffered 
very severely from the hurricane of 1899. Of the large 
school chapel of St. Mary's, situated in the town, only 
the chancel escaped destruction. The chapel was built in 
1838 as a thank-offering for the emancipation of the slaves, 
and it was enlarged in 1885. 

In St. Anthony's Church, just outside the town, are tablets 
to the memory of the Laffoon family, 1772, and the Hon.- 
Alex Gordon, President of the island, who died on June 16, 
1790. The original church was rebuilt in 1730, enlarged 
in 1893, and restored in 1900, after being destroyed by the 
hurricane in the preceding year. The silver chalices which 
form part of the communion plate bear an inscription to 
the effect that they were presented by the freed slaves 
as a thank-offering. They are inscribed : 

"This Chalice was presented by the Free Labourers of 
this Island as a thank-offering to God for the Blessing of 
Freedom vouchsafed them on the 1st August 1838." 

In the south part of the island there is a school chapel 
built in 1 891 and dedicated to St. Patrick. 

Government House (5 minutes' walk from Plymouth) 
is an imposing-looking building of three stories surrounded 
by wide verandahs on the cliffs facing the sea. It stands 
on the site of a former Government House erected in 1750, 
and is surrounded by very beautiful grounds. 

Gage's Soufriere (J hour's ride) and South Soufriere 
(1 \ hour's ride) should both be seen. Gage's Soufriere is quite 
near Plymouth, and is easily accessible. It would be an 
ideal spot for the erection of a bathing establishment, as 
there are hot and cold springs near it, the former being im- 
pregnated with mineral matter, chiefly calcium chloride. 
South Soufriere is beautifully situated on the south side 
of Chances Mountain, which rises to a height of 3002 feet in 
the southern group. It has several boiling springs and 
vents which emit steam and sulphurous vapours. Around 
it there are deposits of gypsum and sulphur. 

A drive to Harris Village (about four miles from Ply- 
mouth) in the hills near the centre of the island is worth 
taking for the sake of the beautiful tropical scenery. 



33 6 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

The island was once strongly fortified, and the ruins of 
many forts and batteries, including Fort Harrington and 
Fort St. George, can be visited. From the position of 
these defences, which protected the various roads and 
passes, it is evident that the fortifications were very care- 
fully planned. Fort St. George is on the summit of St. George's 
Hill (1200 ft.), a ride of about 20 minutes from Plymouth. 
It commands a fine view of the town and surrounding 
country. Fort Barrington is an easy walk of about 
20 minutes from Plymouth. 

Visits may also be made to cotton, lime, and cocoa planta- 
tions. Few islands offer greater facilities for growing citrus 
fruits, spices, vanilla, and tropical produce generally. 

Though the island is, perhaps, less prosperous than 
some of its neighbours, the fortunes of Montserrat are in 
the ascendant. This is clearly shown by the rapid growth 
in the value of its exports in recent years, the figures of 
which are shown on page 333. For visitors in search of quiet 
Montserrat affords a delightful haven of rest, and when the 
island becomes better known it will certainly be more 
appreciated. 

DOMINICA 

" Animis opibusque parati" 

The Island's Motto. 

GENERAL ASPECT. Dominica, which is the largest of 
the Leeward Islands, and the third in size of the British 
West Indian Islands, is 29 miles long by 16 miles broad, with 
a total area of 291 square miles, and a population of 31,943. 
It lies between latitudes 15 io' and 15 40" N. and longi- 
tudes 61 ° 14' and 61 ° 30' W., 85 miles south-east of Mont- 
serrat and half-way between the French islands of Guade- 
loupe and Martinique, from each of which it is distant about 
30 miles. The island is of volcanic formation and very 
mountainous, having a range of lofty hills running north 
and south, with spurs branching off to the sea. Its moun- 
tains tower above those of all the other Antilles, and Morne 
Diablotin (over 5000 ft.) is the culminating peak of the 
Caribbean Andes. Dominica is well watered, and is said 



DOMINICA m 

to have 365 rivers, or one for every day in the year, though 
new-comers are generally told that one or two more have 
just been discovered ! The rivers, which teem with fish, 
rise in the higher lands, and often form grand waterfalls 
in the course of their journey to the sea. The principal 
of them are the Layou and Pagoua, which nearly intersect 
the range of mountains in the middle of the island. At 
this part, the range resolves itself into undulating country 
of some 20,000 acres in extent, varying from 200 to 1500 feet 
in height, called the Layou Flats. This district, which is 
very fertile and admirably adapted for the cultivation of 
cocoa, coffee, limes, rubber, spices, oranges, and almost 
every kind of tropical produce, has undergone rapid develop- 
ment since it was rendered accessible by the Imperial Road, 
which is eighteen miles in length and extends to Bassinville. 
Roseau, the capital, on the leeward side of the island, has 
only an open roadstead, but Prince Rupert's Bay, on the 
west coast, near the north of the island, is a very fine natural 
harbour which would make a splendid coaling station if 
it were properly developed. It is protected by two hills — 
the Cabrits — at the end of a promontory on the north, 
which was once strongly fortified. William Gifford Pal- 
grave, the great writer and traveller, considered that the 
natural beauty of Dominica surpassed that of any island 
in the eastern or western tropics. "In the wild grandeur 
of its towering mountains," he wrote, " some of which rise 
to 5000 feet above the level of the sea ; in the majesty of its 
almost impenetrable forests ; in the gorgeousness of its 
vegetation ; the abruptness of its precipices, the calm of 
its lakes, the violence of its torrents, the sublimity of its 
waterfalls, it stands without a rival, not in the West Indies 
only, but, I should think, throughout the whole island 
catalogue of the Atlantic and Pacific combined." Twenty 
years ago the island was a veritable " Sleepy Hollow " of 
poverty and decadence, but now signs of progress and 
prosperity are in evidence on every side. 

INDUSTRIES. The early French settlers pinned their 
faith on coffee, and by the end of the eighteenth century 
the exports of this commodity were valued at no less than 
£6,000,000. Then the plantations were attacked by blight 



338 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

and, in the place of coffee, sugar was cultivated on tlic lower 
lands and about 6000 hogsheads were exported annually. 
Sugar has, however, for various reasons, long since ceased to 
be an important article of export from Dominica, and 
in many seasons only just enough is now manufactured 
in the island to satisfy local requirements. When the 
price of sugar fell to a point which made it no longer 
a remunerative crop, the planters, under the lead of Dr. 
John Imray, had the foresight to turn their attention to 
other industries, with the result that the products of the 
lime-tree (citrus acida var. medico) — under which are included 
fresh and pickled limes, raw and concentrated lime juice, 
citrate of lime, essential oil, and otto of limes — cocoa, and 
oranges are now the principal articles exported. As a lime- 
producing island Dominica is now far ahead of Montserrat, 
which received rather a severe setback from a hurricane in 
1899, and as a cocoa-producing island more will be heard of 
Dominica in the near future when the numerous plantations 
established by enterprising young settlers from England 
come into full bearing. The island has a great variety of 
timber, the virgin forests containing lofty trees of fine woods 
for cabinet and building purposes, and sulphur must also be 
included among its products. Para rubber (Hevea bvasili- 
ensis) is grown on several estates, and the quality produced 
has been favourably reported upon. Now that arrange- 
ments have been completed for insurance against damage 
and loss from hurricanes, Dominica offers as good security 
for the investment of capital as Ceylon, the Straits Settle- 
ments, and other places far more distant. 

The principal exports in the year 19 12 were as follows : 

Limes and lime products 

(Barrels of fruit) . . 370,000 £96,673 

Cocoa (lbs.) . . . 1,083,538 20,881 

Essential oils (galls:) . . 6436 5516 

The direction of the trade of the colony in the same year 
was : 

Imports. Exports. 

£ £ 

United Kingdom . . 65,436 ... 58,389 

British Colonies . . 45,253 ... 9,365 

Foreign Countries . . 50,412 ... 54,611 



DOMINICA 



339 



FINANCIAL POSITION. The following is a compara- 
tive table of the revenue and expenditure, and imports and 
exports, of the colony for the last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports.* 


Exports.* 




£ 


i 


£ 


£ 


1903-4 . 


31,443 


3C33I 


95,419 


69,384 


1904-5 . 


30,982 


31,032 


91,088 


63,016 


1905-6 


32,499 


33,874 


95,358 


78,035 


1 906- -7 


34,149 


31,055 


103,224 


106,246 


1907-8 


39,865 


3L468 


121,650 


124,294 


1908-9 


40,500 


36,541 


I53,IH 


112,013 


1909-10 . 


38,937 


41,276 


128,779 


102,339 


1910-11 . 


4 J ,473 


39,o5o 


147,322 


112,111 


1911-12 . 


43,7i8 


38,399 


164,695 


124,678 


1912-13 . 


45,i85 


40,123 


J59-529 


152,458 



* For calendar years 1903-12. 

CLIMATE. The climate of Dominica, which is always 
healthy, is at its best from the end of October until the 
beginning of June. The temperature on the sea-board 
varies from 70 Fahr. to 90 Fahr., but in the hills it 
frequently falls as low as 6o° Fahr. The rainfall varies con- 
siderably, being about 80 inches in some parts and over 250 
inches in others. During the winter months there is an almost 
constant sea-breeze blowing, and the nights are always cool. 
For over fifty years there has been no case of yellow fever 
in the island. The birth-rate is 24 and the death-rate only 
22 per 1000. The climate is specially suited to people with 
a tendency to pulmonary complaints. Dr. H. A. Alford 
Nicholls has certified that for over thirty years no cases 
of typhus, enteric, or scarlet fever have occurred, and that 
white residents enjoy remarkable longevity. 

HISTORY. Dominica derives its name from the fact 
that it was discovered by Columbus on a Sunday — the 
actual day being Sunday, November 3, 1493. The island 
was included in a grant with several others to the Earl of 
Carlisle ; but every attempt to subdue the original Carib 
inhabitants having failed, it was agreed by the Treaty of 



340 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, that Dominica, St. Vincent, St. 
Lucia, and Tobago should be considered neutral, and that 
the Caribs should be left in undisturbed possession of them. 
In spite of this arrangement, the French, attracted by its 
great fertility, settled in the island and established planta- 
tions, but Dominica was wrested from them by the English 
in 1759, and assigned to Great Britain by the Peace of Paris 
in 1763. The lands were surveyed and sold by Com- 
missioners in London in lots for £312,092. In 1778 the 
island was invaded by a French force under the Marquis de 
Bouille, from Martinique, and the garrison capitulated on 
September 7, after a stubborn resistance. The French 
troops marched into Roseau, as we read " in most regular 
and solemn order, the drums beating a slow march, and the 
French soldiers, with small boughs and flowers in their hats 
by way of laurels, with assumed fierce countenances as they 
came by our small force, seemed to threaten it with instant 
dissolution." Matters became critical for the English, and 
island after island fell into the hands of the French ; but 
Rodney saved the situation by inflicting a severe defeat on 
the French fleet under De Grasse in the memorable sea 
fight between Dominica and Guadeloupe on April 12, 1782, 
described on page 348, and Dominica, with all the other islands 
except Tobago, was restored to Great Britain by the Treaty 
of Versailles in the following year. The inhabitants were 
greatly elated at the restoration of British rule, and were so 
eager to assist in hoisting the standard of England on the 
flagstaff, that they nearly pulled the halliards to pieces 
and broke down the flagstaff by the force of their numbers. 
The French republican, Victor Hugues, invaded the island 
with a force from Guadeloupe in 1795, but he was beaten off, 
and the only other attempt to seize it was in 1805, when 
4000 French soldiers under General La Grange landed, and, 
covered by an overwhelming fire from the ships, captured 
Roseau. The British Governor, Brigadier-General Prevost, 
effected a retreat to the fort at Prince Rupert's Bay at the 
north. But the task of reducing the colony proved too 
much for the invaders, and after burning Roseau — acci- 
dentally, it is stated — and exacting a payment of £12,000 
from the inhabitants, they withdrew after five days, having 



DOMINICA 341 

vainly summoned the Governor to surrender, and sailed to 
Guadeloupe. The House of Assembly voted General 
Prevost 1000 guineas for the purchase of a sword and a 
service of plate ; the Patriotic Fund voted him /ioo for a 
sword, and £200 for a piece of plate, and he was also 
presented by the West India Committee with a piece of 
plate of the value of three hundred guineas in recognition of 
the " distinguished gallantry and high military talents 
which he displayed on this occasion." On his return to 
England he was created a baronet. The centenary of this 
period, which is still spoken of locally as " La Grange," was 
celebrated in Dominica in 1905, when an exchange of cour- 
tesies by cable took place between the officers of the Duke 
of Cornwall's Light Infantry, which formed part of the 
defending force (the rest consisting of the Royal Artillery, 
the 1st West India Regiment, and the Colonial Militia), 
and the Administrator of the colony. A regimental dinner 
was held in honour of the occasion, at which plate presented 
to the regiment by the grateful colonists was used. 

CONSTITUTION. The local government in Dominica, 
which was incorporated with the Leeward Islands in 1833, 
is conducted by an Administrator, assisted by an Executive 
Council of ten members. In July 1898, the Legislative 
Assembly, which was previously partly elected and partly 
nominated, passed an Act abrogating itself, and substituting 
the Crown Colony system. The new Council consists of 
twelve members, six official and six unofficial, all nomi- 
nated by the Government under Royal letters patent. The 
Administrator presides in the absence from the Presidency 
of the Governor of the Leeward Islands. 

Administrators since 1887 
George R. Le Hunte .... 1887 
P. A. Templer, C.M.G. . . .1895 
H. Hesketh Bell, C.M.G. . . .1899 
W. Douglas Young, C.M.G. . . 1906 
Edward Drayton, C.M.G. . . . 191 3 

HOTELS. Roseau. Good accommodation can be had 
at Mrs. Musgrave's boarding-house, the terms for board 
and lodging being 8s. 4^. per day, or £8 6s. Sd. per month. 



342 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

At the boarding-houses of Miss Shew and Miss Jolly the 
terms are 85. 4$. per day, with special rates for a prolonged 
stay. At the Hotel de Paz (Ferreira Co.) the terms for board 
and lodging are 12s. per day and upwards. Rooms 75. 
per day. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. The island is served by 
the steamship companies numbered 1, 7, 8, 13 and 19 in the 
list on pages 14 to 27. The landing charge for steamer to 
the shore is 6d. The island being very mountainous and 
the rainfall heavy, it is difficult to keep the roads in good 
repair, and consequently carriages are not plentiful, and 
there are only one or two places where they are hired out as 
a business ; but though fifteen years ago there was only one 
buggy in the whole island there is now no great difficulty 
about obtaining one when required. As there is no fixed 
legal tariff, it is advisable to settle terms before hiring. 
Riding is the principal means of getting about. The local 
horses or ponies are small, but sturdy and sure-footed. 
They can be hired in Roseau at from 6s. to 85. 4^. for 
the day. On Sundays most people go out of Roseau into 
the country, and it is advisable to order horses a few days 
before, if they are required for that day. 



Coasting Steamer Sefvice 


Time 

taken from 

Roseau. 


Forward 


Aft or 


Stations from 


or Deck. 


Saloon. 


Roseau to : 


Hrs. 


s. d. 


5. d. 


Mahaut . . 


i 


6 


1 


St. Joseph 






1 


6 


1 6 


Colihaut . 






2 


1 


2 6 


Portsmouth 






3* 


1 


4 


Hampstead 






3* 


2 


6 


Marigot . 






5* 


2 • 


8 


Pointe Michel 






i 


4 


9 


Soufriere . 








6 


1 6 


Stowe 






*b 


1 


3 


Point Mulatre 






3 


1 6 


4 


Rosalie 






4hr. 40 m. 


1 9 


5 


Saturday excursion to Ports- 








mouth .... 


— 


— 


4 6 


Excursion round the island . 


— 


— 


10 



DOMINICA 343 

The coasting steamer Yare of the Royal Mail Steam 
Packet Company, which leaves Roseau every few days 
— inquiries should be made of the local agents — gives visitors 
an opportunity of seeing many points of interest round the 
island. The ports and fares are given on the opposite page : 
The Yare also visits Martinique (6 hrs., 14s. ; return £1 is.) 
and St. Lucia (12 hrs., £1 ; return £1 10s.) weekly, leaving, 
at present, on Sunday and returning on Tuesday. 

SPORTS. Cricket, lawn-tennis, and croquet are the 
principal amusements, and there are clubs devoted to each, 
to which visitors are admitted if introduced by members. 
The lawn-tennis courts of the Dominica Recreation Club, 
which was founded in 191 1, are said to be among the best 
in the West Indies. Cycling is possible over a limited area. 
A certain amount of shooting can be had, but it is scarcely 
worth the import duty on guns and cartridges. Wild pig 
are occasionally found in the interior, also agouti and 
opossum. There is fair river and sea fishing, and excellent 
river bathing. 

SOCIAL CLUB. The Dominica Club is a flourishing 
institution, open to visitors upon introduction. The Free 
Library — the gift of Mr. Andrew Carnegie — opened in 1906, 
overlooks the sea and is also accessible to visitors. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Roseau (population 5764), 
the chief town of Dominica, has, beyond its historical 
associations and a certain picturesque appearance, very 
little to commend it, though the country round is unequalled 
for beauty. It was in Roseau that Pere Labat, at the close 
of the seventeenth century, met Madame Ouvernard, the 
pure-blooded Carib Queen of the island, who was at the 
time of his visit one hundred years of age, and presented 
to her a couple of bottles of "eau-de-vie de Cannes"! 
The streets are wide, and during the last few years all the 
principal thoroughfares have been macadamised by the 
Roseau Town Board which, by setting a standard for new 
buildings, has also greatly improved the appearance of the 
town. The old streets have a gutter running down the 
middle, which is practically impassable during a tropical 
downpour of rain. The houses are for the most part con- 
structed of wood, but many stand upon a stone foundation, 



344 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

A terrace of better built houses faces the sea. Two fine 
iron jetties have been built for the convenience of passengers 
and trade. The town is connected with the telephone 
system, which extends all over the island, and it is lighted 
by electric light, the electricity being generated by water- 
power from one of the rivers. 

The Post Office is situated almost opposite the new 
"Bell" jetty, and can be seen from the steamer. The 
Victoria Museum, in a building formerly occupied by 
the Victoria Memorial Library, was opened on October 23, 
1 91 1. It contains an interesting entomological collection, 
Dominican and West Indian Carib stone implements, &c. 

The Protestant Church of St. George's was built in 1820 
with money provided by a grant from the Legislature aided 
by public subscriptions, to replace one destroyed by a hurri- 
cane in 1 81 8. It is a substantial stone building of no 
particular architectural merit ; but the interior has a 
reverent and dignified aspect. The beautiful windows in 
the church were put in to the memory of various members 
of the Stedman family, which for nearly a century has 
been connected with the chief mercantile house in the 
island. The various mural tablets bear names of many who 
have been intimately connected with the government of 
Dominica, including the Hon. James Laidlaw, Deputy Com- 
missary General Price, Lieut.-Col. Ernes, William Frederic 
Scott Nicolay, Major John Langley, &c. In the church- 
yard stands the Imray Memorial School, a handsome wooden 
structure built by local members of the Church of England 
in memory of Dr. John Imray, to whom Dominica owes 
much of its present prosperity through the introduction of 
lime cultivation. In the old Church of England cemetery 
there are many interesting ancient tombstones, some 
of which date back to 1780. The Roman Catholic 
Cathedral also merits inspection. By far the greater 
number of inhabitants are Roman Catholics. 

The Market, situated to the left of the " Bell " jetty 
and at the back of the Post Office, though less commodious 
than others in the West Indies, is well built, and amply 
serves its purpose. There is also a railed-off space forming 
an open market, for the use of which a small toll is exacted 




ROSEAU, DOMINICA, FROM THE SEA 

Where Pere Labat met the Carib Queen and gave her eau-de-vie 




A TYPICAL VALLEY IN DOMINICA 

The Island has many fertile spots like this awaiting development 



DOMINICA 345 

from those having wares and produce to sell. Early in the 
morning, during market hours, the scene here is busy and 
exceedingly diverting. Near the mouth of the Roseau 
River there is also a fish market. 

The Public Garden was laid out under the care of Dr. 
John Imray, as a memorial of the federation of the Leeward 
Islands. 

Fort Young, built in 1775, is now used as a Police 
Station, and the Ordnance Stores, built in 1784, have been 
turned into a Boys' School. 

The Botanic Garden at the back of Roseau, about half 
a mile from the landing-place and on the right-hand side 
of the road which leads up the Roseau valley, is well laid 
out, and forms a never- failing source of interest to visitors. 
It was started during the governorship of Sir William 
Haynes-Smith in 1891. Almost every variety of tropical 
plant known can be seen there, and the oranges, limes, 
cocoa, rubber, nutmegs, pine-apples, &c, which are culti- 
vated in quarter-acre patches, serve to show at a glance 
the advantages of the soil and climate of Dominica. Imme- 
diately above the garden to the south-west, is the Morne 
Bruce, an elevated plateau about 500 feet above the level 
of the sea. In a military burial-ground behind the Morne 
many British soldiers were laid to rest in the days when 
Dominica was garrisoned. The conventional tomb sur- 
rounded by railings is the last resting-place of General 
Trotter. The cemetery has in recent years been cleared 
of bush and planted with palms in the form of a cross. 
The Morne enjoys the reputation of being haunted, and the 
black folk will tell you that on dark nights the tramp of 
phantom soldiers and the notes of the bugle can be heard 
there. On the edge of the Morne, overlooking the garden, 
are precipitous cliffs, having at the foot easy slopes suitable 
for cultivation. The land is undulating, with a| rich 
sheltered hollow immediately under the Morne. In other 
places the soil is somewhat stony, and not so suitable for 
the growth of plants. There is, however, no part of the 
land not adapted to some cultivation or other. The site 
is well sheltered from prevailing winds to the south and 
east. An abundant supply of water is available from the 



346 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

mains of the Roseau reservoir, which pass through the 
middle of the station. 

The Bar Gate oJ Loubiere, J mile south of Roseau, is a 
narrow pass which was the scene of the successful defence of 
the colony when it was attacked by General La Grange in 
1805 (see page 340). 

The famous Sulphur Springs of Wotton Waven, which 
are said to afford a remarkable cure for rheumatism and 
aches and pains in general, are an hour's ride from Roseau. 

The excursion to the Waterfalls, a ride of 1 J hours, through 
the beautiful Roseau Valley, is deservedly popular. Another 
favourite expedition, and one which will give the visitor an 
insight into the glories of tropical scenery, is that to the 
Freshwater Lake in the interior of the island. The lake is 
situated at an altitude of 3000 feet, and can be reached on 
horse-back in from 2 J to 3 hours. The ride is a delightful 
one, not the least pleasing feature of it being the shrill note 
and incessant humming of the humming-birds, the sound of 
which is in marked contrast to the funereal tone of the 
"Simeur Montagne," a bird of brilliant red and blue plum- 
age, only to be found at high altitudes in Dominica. The 
Freshwater Lake in itself presents no remarkable features ; 
but it is an object of awe and dread to the superstitious 
blacks, who associated it with all kinds of terrifying fables. 
Some believe it to be bottomless, and connected by an 
underground channel with a certain part of the sea between 
Pointe Michel and Soufriere called l'Abime or l'Abys. 
They aver that this theory must be correct, for a brave 
Carib chief once dived into the lake, and reappeared at 
L'Abime. Others allege that a mermaid lives in the water, 
and that she will assuredly drag them to her subaqueous 
home unless they devoutly cross themselves and utter 
certain incantations ! The origin of such tales is probably 
to be traced to the legend related by Oldmixon as far back 
as 1708. The natives, he said, tell all strangers "a ftrange 
Tale of a vaft monftrous Serpent, that had its Abode in 
the before-mentioned Bottom [an inaccessible Bottom 
among the high mountains]. They affirm' d, there was 
in the Head of it a very fparkling Stone, like a Carbuncle 
of ineftimable Price ; that the Monfter commonly veil'd 



DOMINICA 347 

that rich Jewel with a thin moving skin, like that of a 
Man's Eyelid, and when it went to drink or f ported itself 
in the deep Bottom, it fully difcover'd it, and the Rocks 
all about receiv'd a wonderful Luftre from the Fire iiluing 
out of that precious Gem." 

There is a rude shelter by the side of the lake, where 
mules can be tied up while the visitor proceeds afoot to the 
famous Rosalie View. Here there is one of the most 
magnificent vistas in the West Indies. From a foreground 
of tall tree-ferns, rubber trees, and a wealth of tropical 
foliage, stretch eight or nine miles of densely wooded valley 
and mountain, ending in the dim and blue distance with the 
surf-fringed shore of Rosalie Bay on the windward coast. 

A visit to the Boiling Lake, which was rediscovered 
about twenty years ago by a party of three, headed by Dr. 
H. A. A. Nicholls, is a more serious undertaking altogether. 
The lake is really an active volcano, and may be described 
as a small geyser of boiling sulphur, about 300 feet long by 
200 feet wide. The journey to it is arduous, and is not un- 
attended with considerable risk. Visitors to the lake 
usually camp out in the woods or sleep at the village of 
Laudat overnight, in order to enable them to begin the 
more difficult part of their journey in the early morning. 
Two mountains, each about 3000 feet high, have to be 
traversed, and the descent of the second of these, the 
Morne Nicholls, is extremely dangerous, especially in wet 
weather, when the slightest slip may land one in a boiling 
spring at the bottom. Having safely negotiated these 
mountains, the " Valley of Desolation " is reached. Rightly 
has it received this appellation, for a more desolate locality 
it would be hard to find ! Its chief characteristic is a number 
of springs of a variety of colours — coffee-coloured, red, 
black, and ashy-grey. After an hour's steady walking 
and climbing over gargantuan boulders, the lake itself 
is reached. The sight is awe-inspiring indeed. Frequently 
a rumbling is heard, and a large column of water is ejected to 
a height of 10 feet, while periodically the whole of the lake 
is emptied by means, it is presumed, of some subterranean 
channel. Palgrave. who visited the lake in 1876, described 
the phenomenon in these terms in his essay " West Indian 
Memories " ; 



348 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Fenced in by steep, mostly indeed perpendicular banks, 
varying from sixty to a hundred feet high, cut out in ash and 
pumice, the lake rages and roars like a wild beast in its cage ; 
the surface, to which such measurements as we could make 
assigned about two hundred yards in length by more than half 
the same amount in breadth, is that of a gigantic seething 
cauldron covered with rapid steam, through which, when the 
veil is for a moment blown apart by the mountain breeze, 
appears a confused mass of tossing waves, crossing and clashing 
in every direction — a chaos of boiling waters. Towards the 
centre, where the ebullition is at its fiercest, geyser -like masses 
are being constantly thrown up to the height of several feet, 
not on one exact spot, but shifting from side to side, each fresh 
burst being preceded by a noise like that of cannon fired off 
at some great depth below • while lesser jets often suddenly 
make their appearance nearer the sides of the lake. 

A ride should be taken along the Imperial Road, so 

named because it was a gift to the island from the Mother 
Country in 1898. The road was begun in 1899, and the 
cost, which was ^15,000, was defrayed from Imperial funds. 
It is eighteen miles in length and extends to Bassinville. 
Unfortunately it has not been kept in as good a state of 
repair as is desirable, and it sadly needs metalling. The 
views from Sylvania of the mountains, and from Lancashire 
through the valley to the sea, seven miles distant, are 
indescribably beautiful. A few miles farther on is Rivers- 
dale, situated at the highest part of the Layou Flats. 

A ride or drive for a few miles along the Coast Road 
to the north or south of Roseau conveys to the European 
visitor a good idea of the dwellings and of the manners and 
customs of the West Indian peasantry, which are a never- 
ending source of interest. About two miles to the south 
of the town is the fishing village of La Pointe Michel, 
which is fringed with graceful coco-nut palms. Many of 
the residents are refugees from the Martinique villages 
which were destroyed by the eruptions of Mont Pele. A 
trip Round the island in the Royal Mail Steam Packet 
Company's coasting steamer Yare is well worth taking, giv- 
ing as it does an opportunity of seeing Prince Rupert's Bay 
and the scene of Rodney's victory over De Grasse in 1782. 

Island after island had fallen into the hands of the French, 
who were contemplating an immediate descent upon 
Jamaica, and the outlook was dark indeed when on February 



DOMINICA 349 

19 Sir George Rodney arrived at Barbados. He proceeded 
to Gros Islet Bay, Saint Lucia, where he was kept informed 
by a chain of frigates and look-outs on Pigeon Island of 
the movements of De Grasse, who was lying in Fort Royal 
Bay, Martinique. On April 8 a preliminary engagement 
took place between Sir Samuel Hood and the French 
Admiral. Four days later, on the eventful April 12, one 
of De Grasse's vessels, which had lost her foremast and 
bowsprit, was being towed into Guadeloupe by a frigate 
when Rodney gave chase. De Grasse at once formed his 
line of battle. Rodney recalled his chasing ships and 
followed suit. An engagement soon became general. 
This was at 7 a.m., and at 11 the breeze freshened, and 
Rodney and Hood closed up with the enemy's van. The 
ships of the two fleets were in parallel line, and sailing in 
opposite directions, when Rodney, seizing his opportunity, 
executed the brilliant manoeuvre, ever after famous, of 
breaking the enemy's line. By thus dividing the enemy's 
fleet into two divisions he secured a complete and signal 
victory. In the Formidable (90 guns) he next endeavoured 
to engage the Ville de Paris, sinking on his way the Diademe 
with a single broadside. Though he failed at once to reach 
the flagship, she was compelled to yield to the Barfleur, 
De Grasse fighting gallantly to the last, until only he himself 
and two unwounded men remained on the upper deck. 
This was at 6.30 p.m. The English lost 261 killed and 837 
wounded ; while of the French, no fewer than 14,000 were 
accounted for as being killed and wounded. In this 
memorable engagement, which secured to us our West 
Indian Colonies, the English fleet was slightly superior in 
numbers, consisting of 36 ships and 2640 guns, as compared 
with 34 ships and 2560 guns of the French, but the latter 
carried an extra complement of 5500 men and a complete 
train of battering guns and field pieces for the conquest 
of Jamaica. The Ville de Paris, a magnificent three- 
decker of 2300 tons and no guns, which was the gift of 
the City of Paris to Louis XV, and cost £176,000 — no small 
sum for a single ship in those days — was sent home by 
Rodney as a prize with five others, and with three of his 
own ships which had been seriously damaged, under the 



350 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

command of Admiral Graves, but unfortunately she and 
the Glorieux went down in a hurricane with all hands. A 
florid clock from the superb French vessel, the solitary 
hand of which was moved by the sentry on duty, can be seen 
at the Museum of the United Service Institution in White- 
hall. Rodney reached England on September 21, 1782, 
and was at once raised to the peerage and granted a pension 
of £2000 a year in addition to the similar amount which he 
was receiving as a reward for defeating De Guichen off 
Martinique in 1780. He died on May 21, 1792, and a 
monument was erected to his memory at the Nation's 
expense in St. Paul's Cathedral. 

In the market-place at Portsmouth, at the head of the 
bay, is an old stone structure, about 4 feet square, in a fair 
state of preservation. It is commonly called Prince 
Rupert's tomb, but is said to be that of Lord Cathcart, 
who died at sea while on a military expedition, and 
is alleged to have been buried here. In 1887 it was 
opened by some enterprising young midshipmen in the 
presence of Sir Clements Markham, who was the guest 
of his cousin in the Active, but no vestige of any remains 
was found. On an old War Office plan dated 1771, by 
Robert George Bruce and Nathan Marshall, engineers, it 
is certainly marked as Lord Cathcart' s monument. On 
the Cabrits, the hills which form the north arms of the bay, 
are the old Governor's residence and the military buildings 
erected probably in 1770. Nelson, when on the West 
Indian station in the Boreas, frequently put into this harbour 
for wood and water. 

By those desirous of visiting the Carib Settlement, 
the coastal steamer should be taken to Marigot, whence it 
can be reached on foot or horse-back, the distance being 
11 miles. 

Permission can readily be obtained to visit lime and 
cocoa estates, and many profitable days can be spent by 
the more enterprising visitors in exploring the virgin 
forests which still cover a great part of this beautiful island. 
It is estimated that the available Crown Lands in Dominica 
comprise about 100,000 acres. They are sold at an upset 
price of 10s. per acre, and payment for blocks exceeding 



THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 351 

100 acres can be spread over three or four years if desired. 
There is abundant room for young and energetic white 
settlers with a capital of ^1500 and upwards, who can 
devote their attention to cocoa, lime, and rubber cultiva- 
tion, while enjoying life amidst glorious scenery and healthy 
surroundings. 



THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 

St. Ursula's Archipelago 

GENERAL ASPECT. The Virgin Islands consist of a 
group which lies in latitude 18 27' N. and longitude 
64 ° 39/ W. about 60 miles to the eastward of Porto Rico. 
The British islands in this group include Tortola, Virgin 
Gorda, Anegada, Jost van Dyke, Peter's Island, and Salt 
Island, besides numerous small islets, and they have a total 
area of 58 square miles, and a population of 5562, or 95.9 
to the square mile. Denmark owns St. Thomas, St. John, 
and St. Croix (see page 367), and America, Bieques or Crab 
Island and Culebra, the two islands nearest to Porto Rico ; 
but it is doubtful whether all of these can properly be 
included in the Virgin group. Tortola (population 4222) 
— the name is the Spanish for " turtle dove " — is hilly and 
rugged, Mount Sage rising to a height of 1780 feet. It is 
an irregular- shaped island, 10 miles long by 3 J broad, 
and is divided from Virgin Gorda by a channel known 
as Sir Francis Drake's Channel, through which that great 
navigator took his ships on his way to attack Porto Rico 
in 1595. Roadtown, the chief town (population 410), is a 
port of registry, and Road Harbour, on which it stands, 
is about 1 mile long by £ mile wide. It faces south- 
east and has a safe approach and deep water. Jost Van 
Dyke (population 350) is a rugged and mountainous little 
island due west of Tortola. Its name indicates its probable 
Dutch discovery and colonisation. Virgin Gorda (popula- 
tion 417) lies to the north-east of Tortola. It is square 
in shape, with two arms extending to the north-east and 
south-west, and it is almost broken into two distinct parts. 



352 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the south-west peninsula being flat, while the rest is rugged 
and mountainous, Virgin Gorda Peak rising to a height of 
1370 feet. On the north side is Gorda Sound, forming a 
capacious and well protected, though not very accessible, 
harbour, and the south-western end is strewn with huge 
masses of granite extending to the south in a series of islets, 
the most notable of which, from its likeness to a ruined 
city, is known as the Old or Fallen Jerusalem. Hakluyt 
thus described Virgin Gorda : "La Virgin Gorda is an 
high island and round, and seeing it you shall espie all the 
rest of the Virgines which lie east and west one from another 
and are bare, without any trees." Anegada (population 
459), the "inundated" island, is the most northerly of 
the Lesser Antilles. It has an area of 13 square miles 
and a population of 300. Sombrero (population 5) — 
known to generations of sailors as Spanish Hat, owing to 
its peculiar shape — is a bare rock rising from the sea to a 
height of 40 feet in the broad channel dividing the Virgin 
Islands from the Leeward Islands, to neither of which it 
belongs at present, though it is British. An English man- 
of-war's man named Jeffery was marooned on this island 
in 1807 by his commander as a punishment. He sustained 
life for eight days on a few limpets and rain-water, and 
was then saved by an American vessel on December 13, 
1807. He received ^600 compensation from the British 
Government. Captain Lake, his commander, was court- 
martialled and dismissed the service. Jeffery afterwards 
exhibited himself in London. Sombrero was once leased 
to a company which exported phosphates of lime, but the 
lease expired in 1893. O n August 10, 1904, an Order in 
Council was passed annexing the island to the Leeward 
Islands at a date to be appointed by the Governor by 
proclamation. The remaining English islands which are 
inhabited are Salt Island (population 52), Peter Island 
(population 42), and Thatch Island (population 15). 

INDUSTRIES. A small quantity of sugar is produced 
by peasants, who own and cultivate the land in the Virgin 
Islands. They also grow Sea Island cotton, raise cattle, 
and catch fish. They take their produce in small boats 
to St. Thomas, and this constant sailing among the reefs 



THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 



353 



and currents which surround the Virgin Islands makes 
them the finest seamen in the West Indies. They are a 
hardy, intelligent race, remarkably distinct from the 
inhabitants of the neighbouring islands. Their trade and 
intercourse is with the Danish islands, and to a smaller 
extent with Haiti and Santo Domingo. Fibrous plants, 
such as agaves and bromelias, grow wild in Tortola. The 
currency consists almost entirely of Danish silver and 
copper, which are not, however, legal tender. The native 
women are renowned for the Spanish drawn-thread work 
which they execute with great skill. The principal exports 
in the year 19 12-13 were as follows : 

Value. 
£ 
Cattle . . . 1,106 head 2,784 

Charcoal . . . 4,325 barrels 30 

Cotton . . . 49,483 lbs. 3,31 1 

Limes . ,1 ,000 barrels — 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of 
the Virgin Islands is shown by the following comparative 
table of their revenue and expenditure, and imports and 
exports, for the last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




£ 


£ 


£ 


£ 


1903-4 


2166 


2342 


4631 


5602 


I904-5 


2502 


2431 


5409 


4556 


1905-6 


2477 


2511 


55" 


5077 


1906-7 


2425 


2032 


6412 


5760 


1907-8 


2335 


2050 


7009 


5951 


1908-9 


2278 


2251 


8629 


7150 


1909-10 


2371 


2334 


7579 


7519 


1910-n 


6091 


5964 


8717 


6684 


1911-12 


8200 


6446 


9570 


8852 


1912-13 


4795 


4980 


10,323 


7258 



CLIMATE. The climate of the Virgin Islands is more 
healthy than that of many other West Indian islands, the 
heat being less great. The thermometer rarely rises over 
90° Fahr., and at night often falls as low as 65 ° Fahr. The 

z 



354 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

average annual rainfall is about 55 inches. The islands 
are occasionally visited by hurricane 5. 

HISTORY. The Virgin Islands were discovered by 
CdHmbos :n his second voyage in 1493, and named by 
him in honour of St. Ursula and her fellow martyrs. 
Terrell if said e: have been rlrsr settled in 164S by Dutch 
buccaneers who were driven out by Englishmen of the 
same profession in 1666. The island and its dependencies 
—ere s::z afterwards annexed to the Leeward Islands 
dri --eminent in a :mmi:ss:m granted by Charles II to 
Sir Wflfiam Srapleton. 

CONSTITUTION. A civil government and courts of 
justice "ere established in the British Virgin Islands in 
:--:. In April 1S67, an ordinance was passed to amend 
the constitution of the colony. It was therein enacted 
that a Legislative Coancfl should be constituted, to consist 
of the Colonial Secretary, the Colonial Treasurer, and not 
more than three unofficial members to be nominated by 
the Administrator of the Government. This ordinance 
was repealed on May 1, 1902, and now the Governor of 
the Leeward Islands crdains the laws. There is also an 
Executive Counnl, 



C: :: : ■ ■. : ::■■'.:-: : : : 7 

Mi Edward T. Cameron 
Mr. A. R_ Mackay 

Mr. X. G. Cookman 
Mr. R. S. Earl . 

Mr. T. L. H. Jarvis . 



:Sm 
1894 
1897 
1903 
1909 



HOTELS. There ere a: hotels in the Virgin Islands. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. A "motor-launch 
frequently runs between Tortola and St. Thomas, which 
can be reached by the steamers of the companies numbered 
3, 8, ijs and 19 in the list on pages :a te 2j. 

The ponies though small are very sure-footed. 

SPORTS. There is a Cricket Club in Tortola, and much 
enjoyment can be derived iron boating, shooting, and 
nshine. 

Tart : a : all e d loc ally ; ' Bas 5.. ' ' king-fish, cavally, 



THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 355 

barracouta, &c, afford excellent sport for the rod, while 
pigeon, doves, and wild duck fall to the gun. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Many very pleasant rides can be 
enjoyed in Tortola, which has a coast road extending 
for a distance of 20 miles from the west to the east 
end, and also bridle-paths in the mountains. The views 
from the mountain tops are magnificent, and so rare is the 
atmosphere that islands fort}* miles distant can be seen 
from them on a clear day. Near Roadtown are the 
Botanical Gardens and the Experimental Station estab- 
lished under the Imperial Department of Agriculture in 
1900. Beyond these, the principal sights are two old 
cemetries and Fort Charlotte, and an old Eort at Pack- 
wood Point. 

On Virgin Gorda are the natural baths formed of 
massive blocks of granite, said to have been used bv the 
Caribs, and the old copper-mine. On Salt Island the 
Salt Ponds are of interest, while on Norman Island the 
old Pirates' Caves should be visited. They can be reached 
in small boats. A few years ago an iron chest containing 
treasure was found in the caves. 



CHAPTER XII 

GUADELOUPE AND ITS DEPENDENCIES 
AND MARTINIQUE 

GUADELOUPE 

The Twin French Islands 

GENERAL ASPECT. Guadeloupe, which has an area of 
619 square miles and a population of 190,273, lies between 
latitudes i5°59' and i6°2o' north and longitudes 6i°3i / and 
6i°50 / west, between Montserrat and Dominica, and 
79 miles north of Martinique. Properly speaking, it con- 
sists of two islands, Grande Terre (255 square miles) and 
Basse Terre (364 square miles) which are separated by 
the Riviere Salee, a salt river four miles long. The island 
is volcanic, and the highest peak, La Soufriere (4900 ft.), 
has numerous small craters, some of which still emit sul- 
phurous fumes. At its side is the crater of l'Echelle, which 
has several active outlets. Grande Terre, the eastern 
portion of Guadeloupe, is flat, while the western division, 
Basse Terre, is very mountainous. The chief town is 
Pointe-a-Pitre (population 20,000) in Grande Terre, 
but Basse Terre (population 8626) is the seat of govern- 
ment. 

INDUSTRIES. Sugar, which is cultivated mainly in 
Grande Terre, is still the principal crop of Guadeloupe ; 
but cereals, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, cotton, cassava, yams, 
and potatoes are also produced. There is a heavy protective 
tariff against foreign goods, and the local love of politics 
has proved a serious hindrance to the development of the 
industries of the island. The principal exports in 191 2 
were sugar, 42,441 tons ; coffee, 951,688 kilos ; and cocoa, 

356 



GUADELOUPE 357 

918,573 kilos. The trade of the island is mainly conducted 
with France. 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
Colony is shown by the following comparative table 
of its revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports, 
for the last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




Francs 


Francs 


Francs 


Francs 


1903 


5,290,928 


5,263,415 


16,359,061 


17,812,489 


1904 


6,050,560 


5,985,289 


13,260,380 


12,933,271 


1 90S 


4,862,21 1 


4,812,137 


13,438,419 


15,637,471 


1906 


4,868,917 


4,836,963 


12,867,069 


15,434,609 


1907 


4,780,813 


4,690,620 


13,425,655 


16,268,946 


1 908 


5,708,447 


5,619,409 


15,076,507 


17,360,443 


1909 


4,533.8i5 


4,416,685 


14,201,271 


11,595,060 


1910 


4,663,667 


4,663,667 


16,804,237 


24,053,098 


191 1 


4,559,583 


4,559,583 


19,383,258 


20,245,486 


1912 


4,604,186 


4,704,126 


r9, 524,1 16 


26,084,302 



CLIMATE. The average temperature of Guadeloupe 
during the tourist months is 68° Fahr., and the climate is 
quite healthy. The rainy season extends from July to 
November, the cool season from December to March, and 
the dry season from April to June. The island has nume- 
rous thermal bath resorts, notably Eau de Dole, Sofaia, 
and Bains Jaunes. 

HISTORY. Guadeloupe was discovered by Columbus 
in 1493, and was so named by him as a compliment to the 
monks of the monastery of Guadeloupe in Estremadura. 
The island was first occupied by the French in 1635, and 
captured from them by the English in 1759. After that it 
constantly changed hands between the two ; but after its 
capture by the French in 18 10 it was handed to Sweden, 
by whom it was, however, relinquished in 18 14. In the 
next year it was again taken by the English, but restored 
to the French by the peace of 181 5. 

CONSTITUTION. The administration of Guadeloupe 
and its dependencies is vested in a Governor, who is assisted 



358 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

by a Privy Council and has under his order a Director of 

the Interior, a Procurator-General, and a Paymaster. 

There is also an elective General Council. The colony, which 

forms a department of France, is divided into three arrondis- 

sements, and comprises thirty-four communes with elective 

municipalities. 

HOTELS. The Hotel du Cours and the Anaida at Basse 
Terre, and the Hotel de Paris and the Hotel Moderne 
at Pointe-a-Pitre are recommended. The charges are 
moderate, board and lodging being 10 to 12 francs per 
day. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Guadeloupe is served 
by the steamship companies numbered 10 and 19 in the 
list on pages 14 to 27. The boat fare between the steamer 
and the shore is 1 franc. Horses and carriages are readily 
obtainable. Motors-cars leave Basse Terre for Pointe-a- 
Pitre and vice versa daily at 6 a.m. They call at various 
places en route and reach their destination between 10 and 
10.30 a.m. A coastal steamer also leaves Pointe-a-Pitre 
for Basse Terre and the intermediate communes every 
Monday and Thursday at 8 a.m. and returns every Tuesday 
and Friday at the same hour. Other parts of the island 
can be reached by diligence and small steam and sailing 
craft. 

SPORTS. No outdoor games are played in Guadeloupe 
and the only sport to speak of is ramier (wild pigeon) 
shooting, which can be had in the mountains and forests. 
But the pursuit of the ramier necessitates a long journey 
and an absence of several days from town. 

SOCIAL CLUBS. There is only one club in Basse Terre, 
the Cercle de Commerce. It is run on different lines from 
those of clubs in the British and American islands and is 
poorly patronised. The members all belong to one political 
party. There is also a small club in Pointe-a-Pitre. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Guadeloupe is an extremely 
beautiful island richly endowed by nature, and its principal 
charm is its tropical scenery. The town of Basse Terre 
has few attractions for visitors beyond the novelty of the 
surroundings. It boasts a Botanical Garden, which has, 
however, been sadly neglected in recent years. In the 




N.Lab. 



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C. Solomon 
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Pet.Anse d'Arlet 



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Petite Anse duJ***"^ '. 






MARTINIQUE 

( French ) 



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DesTiaYe 

Ferry Ph 

PoznteJFoire 

P.* 

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Zezard P?\ 

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man 

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iCALE OF ENGLISH MILES 



<><*, ': 



DEPENDENCIES OF GUADELOUPE 359 

Basse Terre division of the island expeditions can be 
made to the Soufriere, passing the warm baths of Bains 
Jaunes en route, and to the baths of Dole (10 kil., i| hours 
from Basse Terre), and Sofaia. 

In Pointe-a-Pitre, the chief commercial centre of the 
island, the only " sights " are the Usine d'Arbaussier and 
the small Musee L'Herminier, which is devoted to natural 
history. 



LA DESIRADE, MARIE GALANTE, LES SAINTES, 
ST. MARTIN, ST. BARTHOLOMEW 

GENERAL ASPECT. Guadeloupe has several depen- 
dencies, namely, La Desirade, 6 miles to the east, with 
an area of 10 square miles; Marie Galante, 16 miles to the 
south-east ; Les Saintes, a former strategic position of 
great importance, which gave their name to the great sea 
fight between Rodney and de Grassein 1782 (see page 348), 
7 miles to the south part of St. Martin (see page 375) ; and 
St. Bartholomew, a description of which is given below. 
Marie Galante was discovered by Columbus in 1493, and 
named by him after his ship. It was first settled by the 
French in 1647. The western coast is low, but the island 
rises gradually towards the north. Its population is 
about 14,000, and the soil is productive and yields the usual 
West Indian products abundantly. St. Bartholomew 
lies to the south of Anguilla, and about 108 miles to the 
north-west of Guadeloupe. Its eight square miles are 
very mountainous, and its soil, in spite of a scarcity of 
moisture, is not unfertile. Bananas, quassia, and tamarinds 
are exported. The chief town is Gustavia, near the port, 
which is not very accessible. The island, which was occupied 
by the French in 1648, was ceded to Sweden in 1784, but 
it was restored to France in 1877. 



360 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

MARTINIQUE 

The Home of the Empress Josephine 

GENERAL ASPECT. Martinique, which has a popu- 
lation of 185,385, lies in latitude 14 4c/ north and 
longitude 61 ° west, between Dominica and St. Lucia, 
and is of an elongated shape, its extreme length being 49 
miles, and breath 13 miles. It is very mountainous, 
the highest elevation being Mont Pele, rising to a 
height of about 4500 feet. The other mountains of 
Martinique are the three Pitons of Carbet, the highest of 
which is about 3900 feet above the level of the sea, Mont 
Conil, la Balata, which is about 1900 feet, le Mont Vert, le 
Vespre, whence the view extends over the east and south of 
the island, and le Vauclin, on the slopes and summit of which 
is cultivated the finest coffee in the island. The island has 
many streams and rivers, of which about seventy-five are 
of considerable size. During the rainy season they are 
frequently in flood, becoming raging torrents. The town, of 
St. Pierre, which was the chief commercial centre of Mar- 
tinique, having been completely effaced through the 
eruption of Mont Pele in the manner described on page 363, 
Fort de France, the capital, with a population of 29,029, 
is now the principal commercial town of the island. It 
has a magnificent harbour, which is protected by three forts. 

INDUSTRIES. Sugar is the principal industry of 
Martinique, and this crop suffered less from the eruptions 
of 1902 than cocoa, which is mainly grown in the north of 
the island. There are 35 sugar- works and 87 distilleries 
in the island, and it is estimated that 15,000 hectares of 
land are devoted to good producing crops. Coffee, indigo, 
mahogany and cinnamon also figure among the exports. 
Tobacco, too, is cultivated to some extent. The value of 
principal exports in 1912 were: Sugar, 13,752,450 frs., 
gum, 9,216,200 frs. ; and cocoa, 1,046,350 frs. 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
colony is shown by the comparative table on next page of its 
revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports, for the 
last ten years. 







MARTINIQUE 


361 


Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 


1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1908 
1909 
1910 
1911 
1912 




Francs 
5,637,000 

5. 197.175 
4.850,273 
5,161,503 
5,086,241 
5.251.582 
5,221,599 

4.727,715 

7,054,066* 

5.326,390 


Francs 
5.453,742 
5.095.713 
4.59i,oo5 
4,868,128 
4,918,473 
5,224,998 
5,026,002 

4.727.715 
7,054,066 

5.413.345 


Francs 

20,389,568 
14,987,791 
14.759,172 
14,907,882 
15,940,039 
15.363.285 
16,160,898 
19.562,847 
19,854,859 
21,520,301 


Francs 
15,104,073 
12,645,521 
18,069,422 
18,812,130 
18,997,221 
20,785,091 
22,111,719 
27,587,223 
22,582,729 
30,523,455 



* Part of a loan of 3,000,000 francs was credited to the revenue 
in this year. 

CLIMATE. During the months of November, Decem- 
ber, January and February, the north-east trade wind 
prevails, and under its cooling influence the thermometer 
descends as low as 75 ° Fahr. in the towns and 66° Fahr. in the 
higher situations. The east wind blows from March to June, 
during which months the climate is delightful. 

HISTORY. The date of the discovery of Martinique, 
which derives its name from the native Mantinino, is 
uncertain, but it is believed that the event took place 
in either 1493 or 1 5° 2 - The island was settled by France in 
1635, but was captured by the English in 1762, to be restored 
in the following year. Like Guadeloupe, it constantly 
changed hands between France and Great Britain, but 
from 1794 to 1800 it was the headquarters of the British 
forces in the West Indies. Martinique is historically 
interesting as having been the birthplace and early home 
of the Empress Josephine, and also the residence for 
some years of Francoise d'Aubigne, who married the 
dramatist Scarron, and was afterwards celebrated as 
Madame de Maintenon and as the wife of Louis XIV. The 
father of the Empress, M. de la Pagerie, was practically 
ruined by a terrible hurricane in 1767, in which 1600 persons 
perished. 

CONSTITUTION. Martinique is administered by a 



362 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Governor, assisted by a Privy Council, and controlled by an 
elective General Council of thirty-six members. The island 
is divided into two arrondissements — Fort de France and 
St. Pierre — 9 cantons and 32 communes, regulated by the 
French law of 1884. 

HOTELS. Fort de France. The Hotel de r Europe 
and the Grand Hotel, facing the Savannah, are both re- 
commended — pension about 12 francs per day. There are 
also several boarding-houses. Those who wish to make 
a stay will always be able to find accommodation outside 
the hotels, either by taking a whole house, which may 
be hired at from 100 to 120 francs per month, according 
to size, or by taking furnished apartments at a charge of 
2 or 3 francs per diem, according to size and position. 
Washing is cheap and good. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Martinique is served 
by the steamship companies numbered 1, 10, 19 and 27 in 
the list on pages 14 to 27. Landing at Fort de France 
is effected by shore boat. The roads are good, well cared 
for, and well suited for carriages, but the gradients are 
steep. The fare for carriages within the town limits is 
5 francs per hour. The fare for the drive to the ruins of 
St. Pierre is : for a carriage for two 40 francs, and for a 
carriage for four 50 francs for the double journey. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Fort de France, formerly Fort 
Royal (population 29,019), which has succeeded St. Pierre 
as the capital of Martinique, is situated between two rivers, 
the Riviere Madame and the Riviere Monsieur. It was 
from the bay, on the shores of which it stands, that De 
Grasse sailed to meet defeat but not dishonour in the 
memorable battle of the Saints on April 12, 1782. A peerless 
white statue of the Empress Josephine on the Savannah 
is the chief object of interest in the town. Josephine was 
born on Plantation La Pagerie, near the village of Trois 
Ilets, across the bay. 

Places of interest which can be visited include the 
Military Hospital, Law Courts, and the Roman Catholic 
Cathedral. The Cable Office is at 17 Rue de la Liberte, 
and the Post Office at No. 1 1 in the same street. 

Whatever other points of interest the traveller may 



MARTINIQUE 363 

find in the West Indies, a visit to the ruined town of St. 
Pierre and a sight of Mont Pele amply repay him for the 
voyage from England. The drive to the ruins of St. Pierre 
takes four hours each way. (For fares, see preceding page.) 

Before the disaster, as the writer can testify, St. Pierre, 
situated in a cup-like valley enclosed by well-defined spurs 
of hills running down to the sea, was one of the prettiest 
and brightest towns in the West Indies. It was for all the 
world like a small French provincial city, with its cabarets 
and cafes, at the tables of which the Martinicans passed their 
leisure hours. A long, well-paved street ran the whole 
length of the town, and the houses on either side, with red 
roofs and green jalousies, were far better built than those 
in the neighbouring islands. Near the centre of the town 
was the Roman Catholic Cathedral, and along the sea front 
a shady boulevard, much resorted to by the flaneurs of the 
doomed city, over which towered the majestic and solitary 
peak of Mont Pele, 4500 feet high. 

Eruption of Mont Pele. On the fateful May 8, 1902, 
after many premonitory symptoms, which were ignored by 
the majority of the people, a huge mass of fiery vapour 
burst from the side of Mont Pele and enveloped the town, 
including the Opera House, the Cathedral, and the residences 
of the principal inhabitants, bringing death and destruction 
in its track. Indeed, not a building escaped the ravaging 
flames, and it is computed that fully 40,000 persons in- 
stantaneously lost their lives through asphyxiation or burn- 
ing. Such a sight as Pliny witnessed in 79 a.d. was to be 
observed again at St. Pierre, and visitors to the spot will 
realise that here only in the world is a modern repetition 
of the ancient catastrophe. The unfortunate town, which 
has rapidly become overgrown with bush, contains no 
treasures of ancient or modern art, and will probably never 
be considered worth the labour of clearing, but by the shore 
much digging has been undertaken with a view to the 
possible re-establishment of St. Pierre, and such articles 
as molten and flattened globes, door-handles of glass, and 
other interesting relics of the disaster, are still to be found. 
On the hill above, the residents point with pride to a shrine, 
the image and cross of which, while the Cathedral perished 



364 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

and with other large buildings is now only a mass of writhen 
and blistered iron girders, were untouched by fire or ash. 

Of all those actually in St. Pierre only one man escaped, 
a criminal in the condemned cell. This building was situated 
with its back to the volcano, and, being of massive stone 
with a grated window facing seaward, neither flame nor ash 
could enter. His escape was not for long, as the shock 
was so great that he died from it two days after he was 
rescued. 

The disaster has been graphically described by Mr. F. H. 
Watkins, I.S.O., then Commissioner of Montserrat. 

For three months prior to the great outburst signs of active 
disturbance were manifest, and on 25th April 1902, at 8 a.m., 
the neighbourhood was darkened as by a total eclipse of the sun. 
A shower of fine white ashes fell steadily for two hours, covering 
the district north of St. Pierre to the depth of nearly half an 
inch. When the fall of ashes ceased, the weather remained 
gloomy and calm, and the crater still continued to emit smoke. 
Excessive heat was experienced throughout the West Indies at 
this time. The volcano increased in activity until the 2nd and 
3rd of May, when a tremendous outburst of fire and lava over- 
whelmed the large Guerin sugar estate, situated to the north of 
St. Pierre, burying, it is estimated, more than 150 persons. 
Although the fall of ashes did not cease, and some of the inhabi- 
tants left for St. Lucia, most persons in Martinique were in hopes 
that this was the culminating effort of Mont Pele ; and these 
hopes were heightened on Wednesday, 7th May, by the news that 
the St. Vincent Soufriere was in eruption, and by the thought 
that the Martinique volcano would thereby be relieved. 

After the destruction of the Guerin and other estates to the 
north, the terrified and destitute labourers crowded into St. 
Pierre, to the number of 5000, thus adding considerably to those 
destined to meet their fate in the crowning act of destruction. 

The morning of the 8th May dawned on St. Pierre with nothing 
to distinguish it from the others of the previous week. With the 
exception of smoke issuing from Mont Pele, no signs of impending 
disaster were apparent. Being a fete d'obligation, the stores 
and shops were closed. In the roadstead lay about seventeen 
vessels of different sizes, among them being the Roraima, a 
fine steamer of the Quebec Line. To the north, opposite what 
had been the Guerin estate, the cable-ship Grappler was busily 
restoring telegraphic communication with the northern islands. 
About seven o'clock the Scrutton steamer Roddam steamed up, 
but owing to some quarantine difficulties she was ordered to the 
place set apart for the ships in quarantine, and one anchor had 
been let go about eight o'clock. By being thus moored slightly 



MARTINIQUE 365 

out of the full force of the eruption, the Roddam probably escaped 
the fate of the other vessels. In a moment, without warning, 
came the awful catastrophe. Those who survived stated that 
the whole side of the mountain seemed to gape open, and from 
the fissure belched a lurid whirlwind of fire, wreathing itself 
into vast masses of flame as it descended with terrible speed 
upon the doomed town. Before the true extent of their peril 
could be grasped, the fiery mass swept like a river over the 
town, and, pushing the very waters of the sea before it, set the 
ships ablaze. In a few seconds, when the flames of the volcano 
had spent themselves, molten masses of lava and ashes, accom- 
panied by a dense sulphurous vapour, asphyxiated those who 
had escaped death by fire and shock. The sulphurous fumes 
hung over the town for some minutes before being dissipated 
by a faint breeze, and then succeeded utter darkness, illumined 
by the burning houses and ships from which proceeded the 
shrieks of the few survivors. The Grappler was the first vessel 
to catch fire, and was soon seen to turn over and disappear, 
capsized probably by a sort of tidal wave caused by the force 
of the explosion. Some of those down in the hold and in the 
forepart of the Roraima managed to escape, but the steamer was 
burned to a mere shell. The Roddam alone escaped. Soon after 
her anchoring in the quarantine grounds the eruption took place, 
and immediately afterwards molten lava fell on the ship. In a 
few minutes a second explosion took place, causing the sea to 
become a raging cauldron, and this appears to have parted her 
anchor and caused her to drift. On board were fifteen labourers 
from Grenada looking after the cargo, seven of whom were 
roasted alive on the deck, while eight jumped overboard. The 
chief engineer, the first and second officers, and the supercargo 
lost their lives. Of the forty persons who left St. Lucia, only 
ten or twelve returned alive after taking nine hours to steam 
forty miles. Severely burned on his hands and face, Captain 
Freeman managed to bring his vessel to port. 

The French cruiser Suchet landed search parties at 1 a.m. 
on the 9th, but they were unable to penetrate into the town, 
which was still in flames. Some of the streets were lined 
with corpses. The only person in the place reported to 
be saved was the criminal referred to previously, though 
many refugees reached Fort de France before the disaster. 

By an irony of fate, the Roddam, which, like H.M.S. 
Calliope at Samoa, was the only vessel saved from destruc- 
tion, became a total wreck in the Yellow Sea on September 
26, 1905. 

A word may be added with regard to the name of the 
mountain, which is often incorrectly given as Mont Pelee, 



366 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

while it is really Mont Pele or La Montagne Pelee, " the 
bald mountain." To call it Mont Pelee is as ungrammatical 
as it would be to call the highest mountain in Europe 
Mont Blanche or La Montagne Blanc. It is a point of 
interest in connection with the name of the mountain that 
in Hawaii the goddess Pele is credited with a volcanic 
residence, and that at Kilauea the tassels of fused obsidian 
are known as Pele's hair ! 

Rocher du Diamant or Diamond Rock, an account of the 
gallant defence of which by English sailors in 1 804 is given 
on p. 277, lies off the south coast of Martinique. 



CHAPTER XIII 

ST. THOMAS, ST. JOHN, ST. CROIX, 

ST. MARTIN, ST. EUSTATIUS, 

SABA, AND CURACAO 

ST. THOMAS 

The Buccaneers' Retreat 

GENERAL ASPECT. St. Thomas lies in latitude i8° 20' N. 
and longitude 64 55' W., 40 miles to the east of Porto Rico 
and 150 miles north-west of St. Kitts. Owing to its geo- 
graphical position and fine harbour St. Thomas has long 
maintained an important position in the West Indies. It 
is well known as the headquarters of several lines of steamers, 
a coaling station, and a port of refuge. There is always a 
good stock of coal kept there, and the island is as unrivalled 
in the West Indies for the facilities which it affords for the 
expeditious coaling of steamers by day or night, as it is for 
its docking arrangements, shipyards, and repair shops. The 
island is the headquarters in the West Indies of the West 
India and Panama Telegraph Company, the Hamburg- 
American Line, the vessels of which make nearly two hun- 
dred entries into the port in the course of a year, and the 
East Asiatic Company of Copenhagen. The population 
amounts to about 10,000 souls, but owing to emigration, 
principally to the neighbouring republics of Santo Domingo 
and Haiti and to the United States of America, it has been 
declining in recent years. The island, the area of which is 
32 square miles, is of volcanic origin, and has a range of 
hills running east and west, which slope down to the sea. 

367 



368 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Charlotte Amalia, the principal town, is built upon three 
spurs of a mountain, and it is easy to see that the harbour 
occupies the crater of an extinct volcano. 

INDUSTRIES. Sugar was once the principal industry 
of St. Thomas. Bay-rum, which is manufactured from 
leaves of the bay tree (Pimenta acris) grown in the neigh- 
bouring island of St. John, is now, however, practically 
the sole article of export. Tropical fruits and ground 
provisions are produced in considerable quantities for local 
consumption. St. Thomas was once the principal entrepot 
in the West Indies, and purchasers from the other islands 
and from Central and South America used to go to it for 
their supplies. Since the establishment of steamship lines 
and the telegraph system they have found it more con- 
venient to deal direct with the merchants and manufac- 
turers in Europe and America and to receive their goods 
direct. St. Thomas now only supplies some of the 
Virgin Islands and, occasionally, Haiti and Santo 
Domingo. 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The imports into the Danish 
West Indies (St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix) in 
1 91 2 were valued at $1,394,760 and the exports at 
$482,192. 

CLIMATE. The climate of St. Thomas is healthy for 
Europeans, and particularly enjoyable during the winter 
months. The greatest heat is experienced in August, 
September and October, but the thermometer rarely 
rises above 91 ° Fahr., while it sometimes falls as low 
as 64 Fahr. in the months of January, February and 
March. 

HISTORY. Columbus found St. Thomas inhabited by 
Caribs and Arawaks when he discovered the island in 1493- 
In 1657 it was colonised by the Dutch, but the colonists 
departed to what is now New York, giving place to the 
English twenty years later. It is the oldest of the three 
Danish colonies in the West Indies, having been taken 
possession of on behalf of the Danish Crown on March 30, 
1666. In 1 671 the Danish West India and Guiana Company 
was formed in Copenhagen, and acquired the island. After 



ST. THOMAS 36a 

slavery was introduced in 1680 St. Thomas enjoyed great 
prosperity. The island was purchased from the company 
in 1755, and the King of Denmark took the government 
into his own hands, throwing open the port to all nations 
in 1764. The British held the island for ten months in 
1801, and again from 1807 to 1815, when it was restored 
to Denmark, in whose hands it has since remained. Slavery 
was abolished in St. Thomas in 1848. In 1867 a proclama.- 
tion was issued announcing the approaching cession of the 
island to the United States, but the Senate refused to 
ratify the Convention, and negotiations were broken off ; 
in the year 1901 negotiations were again opened for the 
purchase of the island by the Americans, and the Danish 
Folkething voted for the transfer, but the Landsthing in 
1903 rejected the treaty by a tie vote ; so St. Thomas still 
owes its allegiance to Denmark. 

CONSTITUTION. The Governor resides in the island 
for six months of the year — from October 1 to March 31. 
During the other six months he resides in the sister colony 
of St. Croix. He is assisted by a Colonial Council, con- 
sisting of four members nominated by the Crown and 
eleven elected members. One half of the Council retires 
every second year. 

HOTELS. Charlotte Amalia. At the Grand Hotel, 
at Mrs. E. V. Taylor's establishment, called "1829," 
and at the Hotel Italia the terms for board and lodg- 
ing are 85. 4^. per day. There are also several lodging 
houses. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. St. Thomas is served 
by the steamship companies numbered 3, 8, 15 and 19 (see 
pages 14 to 27). The steamers lie alongside the wharves 
and there is no landing fee. Carriages and horses can be 
obtained from one or two private individuals. 

SPORTS. There are two lawn-tennis clubs to which 
visitors are welcomed, and the boating and bathing to 
be enjoyed are above the average. Good sea-fishing 
can be had in all the bays. The roads are excellent for 
cycling. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. St. Thomas has a very pic- 



3/o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

turesque and at the same time exceedingly valuable 
harbour. It is almost completely land-locked, being sur- 
rounded on three sides by hills, and has a great depth of 
water. A floating dock owned by the St. Thomas Dock, 
Engineering and Coaling Company Ltd., which is capable 
of raising vessels of 3000 tons gross weight and 300 feet keel, 
is moored in a sheltered position. It began operations 
in 1875, since which year it has raised and lowered over 
a thousand vessels. A notable feature of the port is its well- 
appointed Quarantine Station, which has become quite 
a place of resort for visitors, especially during the warmer 
season, when it is not being used for its proper purpose. 
The town of Charlotte Amalia (population 8000), so called 
after the consort of King Christian V, which straggles 
over three spurs of the mountains down to the water's 
edge, is singularly beautiful when seen from the deck of 
the ship as one enters. The towers known as Blackbeard's 
and Bluebeard's castles are conspicuous on the hillside. 
Near the water's edge is the brilliantly red Danish fort. 
In 1 91 2 a West India Company was formed in Copenhagen 
for the purpose of dredging and improving the harbour and 
for providing docks, warehouses, &c. The streets of 
Charlotte Amalia are clean and the houses well-kept. The 
town is well policed, and the writer has met a visitor to it, 
who, after dining not wisely but too well, was compelled 
to expiate an overnight offence by sweeping the streets 
next morning. If the visitor is a good pedestrian, and 
desires to obtain a splendid bird's-eye view of the town, 
harbour and sea, with glimpses of St. Croix, and, if the 
day be clear, of Porto Rico and Bieques in the distance, he 
cannot do better than climb the hill to the north-east of 
the town, proceeding as far as Mafolie. If he desires a 
more extended view, he should choose the hill to the west 
end of the town, known as Frenchmen's Hill — which 
owes its name to French Huguenots who took refuge in the 
island, and once lived there in some numbers — continuing 
afoot as far as Solberg. An hour's walk in the first 
instance, and a somewhat longer one in the second, will 
give him as fine a view as can be seen in the West Indies, 
or, for that matter, in any part of the world. Either of 



ST. THOMAS 371 

these trips can be made on horseback, but as the hills are 
very steep, and the roads sometimes rugged, it is well to 
make sure that the animal to be ridden is sure-footed. If 
the visitor be a cyclist, with only a short time at his 
disposal, he will find good roads to the east of the town as 
far as a sugar estate, whence he can return by a circuitous 
route, and, passing through to the west, proceed as far as 
Nisky; he will thus obtain a view of the suburbs and main 
street, but will miss the beautiful views which can be 
obtained from the hills. A few minutes' walk up the hills 
to Blackboard's or Bluebeard's Castle, in the neigh- 
bourhood of the town, will repay the pedestrian. These 
two castles are supposed to have been the headquarters of 
two celebrated buccaneers, and many romantic tales are 
told regarding them. Bluebeard's Castle was really built 
by the Government in 1689 and was called Frederiksfort. 
It was used as a fort until 1735, and was sold with the 
surrounding land to a private individual in 181 8. Black- 
beard's castle on Government Hill dates from 1674, when it 
was built by one Carl Baggert. John Teach, or Blackbeard, 
who is said to have lived in it, was a scoundrel of the 
deepest dye. In " Tom Cringle's Log " he is described by 
" Aaron Bang, Esquire " as : 

The mildest manner'd man 
That ever scuttled ship or cut a throat ; 
With such true breeding of a gentleman, 
You never could discern his real thought. 
Pity he loved adventurous life's variety, 
He was so great a loss to good society. 

He had fourteen wives, and one of his favourite amusements 
was to take his comrades to the hold of his ship and half 
suffocate them by kindling brimstone matches. He would 
also blow out all the candles in his cabin and blaze away 
with his pistols right and left at random. He eventually 
died in a desperate encounter with the frigates Lime and 
Pearl. 

By visitors staying more than a day in St. Thomas many 
interesting excursions can be made, either on foot or on 
horseback. Among the expeditions recommended by 



372 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Mr. John N. Lightbourn, whose name is so well known in 
St. Thomas, are the following : 

(i) From Charlotte Amalia to the east end of the island, 
commonly known as Water Bay. For driving, a strong 
horse is needed, as there is a steep ascent, and the return 
journey must be over the same road. 

(2) From the main road to the east to Tetu estate, 
passing on the way Benders and Bovoni. By following 
this route the tourist is able to visit the Mangrove Lagoon, 
at Bovoni ; and if he procures a boat from the fishermen 
there, which, as a rule, he can easily do, and takes a row 
across the lagoon, he will have a unique experience, which 
will probably leave many pleasant recollections behind. 
He must not forget, however, to take provisions, as none 
can be obtained on the journey. 

(3) From the hamlet of Mafolie, round to St. Peter's, 
Brown's, Solberg, and down Frenchmen's Hill. This route is 
unsurpassed for the charming character of the scenery, and 
will give a good view of the most fertile part of the island. 
On Mafone Hill there is an obelisk known as the " Venus 
Pillar," which was erected by the Brazilian astronomers 
in commemoration of their stay in St. Thomas to witness 
the transit of Venus. It is inscribed Passagem do Venus 
Dezembro 6 de 1882. 

(4) From Charlotte Amalia to the west past Nisky, 
MosMto Bay, John Brewer's Bay, and ascending the 
hill to Bonne Esperance, and round the north side of the 
island down Frenchmen's Hill. This route will give more 
varied scenery, a further view of the island, and, if the day 
is clear, an interesting panorama of the cays and islets to 
the north, and those to the east forming the Virgin Islands 
group. 

There are also numerous excursions which can be made by 
boat, notably across to the German Wharf, climbing thence 
up the hill to Co well's Battery — so named after Major 
Cowell of the British army, who was responsible for its 
erection during the few years of English occupancy — 
Frenchmen's Bay, &c. Another favourite expedition is 
from the harbour, through the " Haul Over " to Nisky Bay 
and Water Island and then on to Krum Bay. 



ST. JOHN 37S 

Not far from St. Thomas is a rock which closely resembles 
a ship and is consequently known as Sail Rock, though by 
some it is called Frenchman's Rock. During the American 
War it received a severe punishing from a French frigate. 
Taking it for a ship the captain hailed it. His hail was 
returned by an echo. The French captain then fired a 
broadside at the rock, the sound of which reverberated 
from it, some of the shot also ricochetting back. Believing 
that they had fallen in with a man-of-war, the Frenchmen 
kept up a heavy cannonade until the morning, when they 
discovered to their mortification the mistake which they 
had made. 



ST. JOHN 

A dependency of St. Thomas 

GENERAL ASPECT. The smaU island of St. John— 
situated about 3 miles east of St, Thomas — belongs to 
the municipality of that island. It has an area of 21 
square miles, and a population of 918 only. The Danes 
took formal possession of it in 1684, but it was not properly 
settled with respect to population until 171 6, when per- 
mission was given to sixteen of the inhabitants of St. 
Thomas to cultivate the island. In the days when sugar 
was king it contained several very valuable estates, and 
naturally a much larger population. For instance, at the 
beginning of last century it had about 3000 whites and free 
coloured persons, besides 2500 slaves, and this was its 
condition up to the time of emancipation. The " bay leaf " 
tree (Pimenta acris), the leaves of which are used in the 
manufacture of that most agreeable toilet requisite known 
as bay-rum, of which there are several manufactories in 
St. Thomas, is a growth of the island. The leaves are 
conveyed to St. Thomas, where the bay-rum, which has 
become so popular throughout America, is distilled. 

Notwithstanding the unimportance of the place, those 
who have a day or two to spare, and can enjoy a little 
boating as well as " roughing it " in the matter of accom- 



374 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

modation, will find that a trip to it will fully repay them. 
There is much fine scenery about St. John, and the island 
has a romantic side to its history, having enjoyed its own 
little slave insurrection in the old days long gone by. 



ST. CROIX 

Denmark's largest West Indian Island 

GENERAL ASPECT. St. Croix or Santa Cruz lies 40 
miles south-south-east of St. Thomas. Its total area is 
only 74 square miles, and its population 19,683. A 
range of hills runs parallel to the coast at the western 
end, the highest peak being Blue Mountain. The principal 
towns are Bassin or Christiansted on the north shore and 
West End or Frederiksted at the western end, which is 
commercially the more important place. 

INDUSTRIES. Sugar cultivation is the principal in- 
dustry, and there are about one hundred sugar estates in 
the island. A central sugar factory was established by 
the Government in 1876, which still continues to work, 
and in the West End quarter of the island another, Le 
Grange, has been established by private enterprise. The 
breeding of cattle is carried on, but chiefly as an aid to 
sugar cultivation by providing the necessary stock of 
working cattle, oxen and mules, and manure. St. Croix 
produces all kinds of tropical fruits in abundance, and 
efforts have been made in recent years by one or two 
planters, not unsuccessfully, to cultivate such fruit as 
oranges and bananas systematically for local use and with 
a view of exporting them in the future. 

CLIMATE. The climate of Santa Cruz is very similar 
to, though rather hotter than, that of St. Thomas ; but it 
is well suited to Europeans. During the greater part of 
the year the fresh trade-wind blows from the north-east. 
The wettest season extends from August to December. 

HISTORY. The history of the island of St. Croix has 
been varied and eventful. It was discovered by Columbus 
on his second voyage, and in 1643 it was inhabited by two 



ST. MARTIN 375 

distinct parties of English and Dutch. They quarrelled, 
however, and the Dutch were expelled. In 1650 the 
English were defeated by Spaniards, who in their turn 
yielded to one hundred and sixty Frenchmen from St. 
Kitts. France entrusted the island to the Knights of 
Malta in 1651, and in 1733 it was purchased by King 
Christian VI of Denmark. In 1801 it was taken by the 
English, but restored to the Danes after a few months. 
Captured again by the English under Sir Alexander Coch- 
rane in 1807, it remained British until 181 4, when it was 
again handed to the Danes. 

HOTELS. In Christiansted, Mrs. Pentheney's hotel 
is recommended. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. There is regular semi- 
weekly communication with St. Thomas by means of the 
Government packet motor schooner Dannebrog, sailing from 
Bassin. Steam communication between the islands has 
been a long-recognised need, but one which it has so far 
been found impossible to supply. The Quebec line of 
steamers, however, proceed as a rule from St. Thomas to 
West End or Frederiksted on their outward voyages. The 
roads of the island are good, and well suited for motorists 
and cyclists. 



ST. MARTIN 

The joint-owned Island 

GENERAL ASPECT. St. Martin, which lies between 
Anguilla and St. Bartholomew, is partly French and partly 
Dutch. Twenty square miles of the island belong to 
France, and form a dependency of Guadeloupe, and 18 
square miles belong to Holland, and form with St. Eustatius 
and Saba a dependency of Curacao. It rises to a height of 
1236 feet above the sea, and it has only a small cultivable 
area. 

INDUSTRIES. Salt is the principal industry of both 
colonies, but cotton and live-stock are also exported. The 
chief settlement in the French portion is Marigot, and in 



376 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the Dutch, Philippsburg. The population of the French 
part is 3200 and of the Dutch 3500. Most of the inhabi- 
tants are English-speaking negroes. 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The table given below shows 
the revenue and expenditure, and the imports and exports, 
of the Dutch West India Islands — namely, part of St. 
Martin, St. Eustatius, Saba, Curacao, Aruba, and Bonaire — 
for the last ten years : 



\ Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 




£ 


k 


£ 


£ 


1902-3 . 


44,634 


60,416 


195,888 


26,033 


1903-4 . 


48,866 


64,583 


247,353 


26,461 


1904-5 . 


46,314 


66,171 


224,953 


40,652 


1905-6 . 


47,446 


70,054 


319,330 


78,389 


1 906-7 . 


48,188 


58,657 


301,704 


86,168 


1907-8 . 


49,150 


76,702 


338,585 


108,916 


1 908-9 . 


500,346 


89,685 


260,908 


100,450 


1909-10 . 


51,304 


84,145 


292,411 


140,833 


1910-11 . 


55,986 


100,436 


296,333 


143,083 


1911-12 . 






360,468 


162,700 



HISTORY. St. Martin was occupied by the French 
freebooters, and by the Spaniards between 1640 and 1648, 
in which year it was divided between the French and the 
Dutch. Regarding the origin of its joint ownership, the 
story is told that a Dutchman and a Frenchman visited it 
simultaneously and started to walk round it from a certain 
point on the coast, agreeing to divide the island between 
them by a line drawn from the point whence they started to 
that at which they met. The astute Dutchman was a 
slower walker than the Frenchman, but he started off 
towards the more valuable end of the island — that in which 
salt-ponds are situated. Thus, while the larger portion fell 
to France, Holland secured the richer part of St. Martin. 
The island is quite off the V beaten track " and is rarely 
visited by steamers, access to it being gained by schooners 
and sloops which do not, as a rule, commend themselves 
to tourists. 



ST. EUSTAT1US AND SABA 377 

ST. EUSTATIUS AND SABA 

An old volcanic crater — the " Golden Rock " 

GENERAL ASPECT. St. Eustatius, or Statia, a de- 
pendency of the Dutch island of Curacao, lies to the north- 
west of St. Kitts. It consists of two volcanic cones with 
an intervening valley, its total area being only 9 square 
miles. The town is Orange town, and it has two forts, 
Yams and cotton are the principal exports. The popula- 
tion of the island is 1500, and the language is English, only 
the employers speaking Dutch. At the landing-place in a 
small cove the remains of many warehouses, testify to 
the former importance of the islet. 

The tiny island of Saba, which has an area of 5 square 
miles, to the north-west of St. Eustatius, also belongs to 
Holland, having been occupied by the Dutch in 1632. 

Little more than a rock rising sheer out of the sea and very 
inaccessible, Saba was the last stronghold of the buccaneers. 
It has three small villages, the Bottom, where the Adminis- 
trator resides, 900 feet above the sea, Windward Side, 
1200 feet, and St. John's, 1900 to 2000 feet above sea-level. 
The male population almost without exception follow the 
sailor's profession, and they are great boat-builders. The 
boats are built in the high lands and shot over into the sea 
below when they are ready for launching. Next to boat- 
building the chief industry is potato-cultivation. The 
women also make beautiful lace-work. The landing-place 
consists of a small rocky spot some few yards only in 
extent. Landing is difficult, and can only be effected by 
the natives in their own boats. Access from here to the 
lower town is gained by a path cut out of the side of the 
hill in irregular steps, up which ponies take the traveller 
in perfect safety. On the leeward side of the island there 
is another landing-place from which the lower town is 
reached by a staircase cut in the rock and called " The 
Ladder." 

The inhabitants have fair complexions and rosy cheeks, 
showing that they have not intermarried to any extent 



37 8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

with the blacks. English is spoken, though Dutch is 
taught in the schools. 

HISTORY. St. Eustatius was first colonised by the 
English and French in 1625 and was taken by the " Dutch 
West India Company " in 1632. After changing hands 
many times it has remained in the possession of the Dutch 
since 181 6. In 1780 the population was 2500 and the 
island was so wealthy that it was known as the " Golden 
Rock." It was the chief mart of the West Indies, and 
sometimes no fewer than 700 vessels lay at anchor off its 
shores. At this period rows of large warehouses, the 
ruins of which are still to be seen, were erected along the 
shore. During the early part of the American War, 
Holland remained neutral, and being a free port St. 
Eustatius enjoyed a brisk trade with America. In 1781 
England declared war against Holland, and Rodney seized 
the island on February 3 in that year when the inhabitants 
were unaware of the rupture of peace. He ordered the 
Dutch flag to remain flying for some time from the batteries, 
and by this means succeeded in capturing a large number 
of vessels which fell into the trap. Many stores were 
captured with merchandise which, when sold, realised no 
less than £3,000,000. Later in the year the island was 
recaptured by the Marquis de Bouille ; but it never 
regained its prosperity and by 181 8 the population had 
fallen to a low level. 



CURACAO 

The Island of the Liqueur 

GENERAL ASPECT. Curacao, which, with the small 
islands of Aruba (west) and Bonaire (east) adjoining, is 
Dutch, lies off the north coast of Venezuela. The island 
has a total area of 158 square miles, and a population 
of 34,000. It is hilly and the country in the interior is 
deficient in water, being entirely dependent upon rain for 
a supply of that necessary of life. The capital, however, 
has a salt water distillery which keeps the town well 



CURACAO 379 

supplied with fresh water. The island looks barren and 
very rocky from the sea, but the capital, Willemstad, is 
quite picturesque, the houses, built in the old-fashioned 
Dutch style with seventeenth-century gables, being mostly 
painted with bright yellow colours. The exports include divi 
divi (the pods of the Ccesalpina cinaria), hides, phosphate 
of lime, straw hats and salt. A peculiar variety of orange, 
Citrus aurantium Carassuviensis, from which the well-known 
liqueur is made, grows in the island. The peel of these 
oranges is shipped to Hamburg and Amsterdam, where 
the Curacao is made. Some liqueur is also manufactured 
in the island by chemists. Curacao has several harbours, 
the principal of which is Santa Anna, on the south-west 
side, the port of Curacao, and Willemstad. Only the upper 
classes speak Dutch, and they also speak English, Spanish 
and French. The lower classes speak a patois called 
" papiamento, " which consists of a mixture of those 
languages with Dutch. 

HISTORY. The island was settled by the Spanish in 
1527, and captured from them by the Dutch in 1634. The 
English took it in 1800 and again in 1807, but it was 
restored to the Dutch in 181 6, and has remained in their 
possession ever since. 

HOTELS. Curacao has two good hotels, the Hotel del 
Commercio in Willemstad and the Hotel Americano in 
Otrftbanda, on the western side of the harbour. The 
terms at both are moderate. 

MEANS OF CONVEYANCE. Curacao is served by the 
steamship companies numbered 3, 5, 11, 15 and 20 in the 
list on pages 14 to 27. Carriages and motor-cars can be 
hired. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The capital is divided by the 
harbour of Santa Anna into two parts, Willemstad and 
Otrabanda (other side). The entrance of the harbour, 
which is spanned by a pontoon bridge, is protected by Fort 
Amsterdam and two other forts. A drive round the 
Scholtgat, a deep lagoon connected with the harbour, and 
to an interesting grotto 6 miles to the north-north-west of 
Willemstad, is recommended. Some of the plantations and 
attractive country residences may also be visited, 



CHAPTER XIV 
CUBA AND PORTO RICO 

CUBA 

The Pearl of the Antilles 

GENERAL ASPECT. Cuba, the largest of the West 
Indian Islands, lies between 74 and 85 ° W. longitude and 
1 9 and 23 N. latitude, 50 miles to the west of Haiti, 
from which it is separated by the Windward Passage. It 
has a total area of 44,178 square miles, and a population of 
2,150,112. Its northern seaboard is on the Gulf of Mexico 
and the Atlantic Ocean, and its southern coast is washed 
by the Caribbean Sea. The eastern end of the island is 
mountainous ; the centre consists of gently sloping plains, 
which, being high above the sea, are well drained and 
densely cultivated with sugar-cane, and the western end 
of the island, which is essentially the tobacco-growing 
district, is broken by mountains slightly lower than those 
in the eastern part. The rock- bound coasts have numerous 
indentations, many of which form admirable harbours. 
The general outline of the island has been likened to that 
of a bird's tongue ; but Mr. Robert T. Hill, of the American 
Geological Survey, compares it more appropriately to a 
hammer-headed shark, the head forming the straight south 
coast of the east end of the island, from which the sinuous 
body extends westward. This analogy is made more 
striking by the two long strings of cays, or islets, which 
extend backwards along the opposite coast, parallel to the 
main body of the island. Prominent among the islands 
off the coast, which number no fewer than 1300, is the Isle 
of Pines, a dependency of Cuba, to which reference is made 

380 



CUBA 381 

on page 399. The rivers are numerous, but none of them are 
of any consequence, except perhaps the Cauto in Oriente, 
which is navigable by small vessels for 75 miles. Cuba 
has six provinces : Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas, 
Las Villas, Camaguey, and Oriente. The island is also 
popularly divided into the Vuelta Abajo (lower turn), 
west of Havana, the Vuelta Arriba (upper turn), east of 
Havana to Cienfuegos, las Cinco Villas between Cienfuegos 
and Sancti Spiritus, and the Tierra Adentro between 
Cienfuegos and Bayamo. 

INDUSTRIES. The staples are sugar and tobacco ; 
aided by the substantial preference given to it in the 
United States markets — which under the present tariff will 
cease in 1916 — the sugar industry has made rapid strides 
and there are upwards of two hundred factories in the 
island. The tobacco industry also continues to expand, 
and the famous Havana and Cuban cigars show no signs 
of losing their well-deserved popularity. The best tobacco 
is produced in the famous Vuelta Abajo region in Pinar 
del Rio, but good tobaccos are also exported from Trinidad, 
Cienfuegos, and Santiago. Fruit and other tropical pro- 
duce is also exported, and stock-breeding gives employ- 
ment to many people. The mineral resources of the island 
include iron-ore, manganese, copper, and salt. The latest 
available figures of the principal exports are : 

Sugar (191 3) . . . 2,429,240 tons 

Tobacco (191 1 ) . . . 308,497 bales of 120 lbs 

Cigars (1911) . . . 188,129,188 

Pineapples (191 1 ) . . 25,775 tons 

The direction of the trade of the island in the year 191 1 
was as follows : 

Imports. Exports. 

United States . . $65,416,000 $145,186,000 

Rest of America . 10,251,000 5,280,000 

Great Britain . . 15,398,000 11,446,000 

Spain . . . 9,775,000 659,000 

Germany . . 8,431,000 6,199,000 

France . . . 7,706,000 2,575,000 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The revenue and expenditure, 
and imports and exports, of Cuba for the past ten years, as far 
as they can be ascertained , are given in the table on next page. 



382 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports.* 


Exports. 




$ 


$ 


$ 


$ 


1903-4 . 


— 


— 


70,156,000 


93,122,000 


1904-5 . 


18,899,500 


17, ^.o^ 


77,021,300! 


89,012,800 


1905-6 


19,699,850 


19,158,104 


94,971,518 


110,167,484 


1 906-7 


24,063,285 


21,728,390 


98,019,621 


103,924,536 


1907-8 


24,447,657 


22,377,168 


104,460,933 


104,172,967 


1908-9 


29,615,263 


24,285,292 


86,368,767 


98,849,091 


1909-10 . 


33,824,746 


31,070,409 


83,856,835 


H5.637,32i 


1910-11 . 


— 


— 


98,239,539 


144,036,697 


1911-12 . 


— 


— 


102,692,888 


128,114,937 


1912-13 . 


41,614,700 


40,593,400 


125,902,241 


172,978,328 



* tov calendar years 1 904-1 91 2 

CLIMATE. Cuba being only just within the tropics, 
its climate is not so hot as that of most other West Indian 
islands. The mean annual temperature at Havana is 
only yj° Fahr., but inland and on the south coast it is 
greater. The rainy season is from May to October, the 
mean annual rainfall being 52 in. In the Sierra Maestra 
mountains the thermometer sometimes falls almost to 
freezing point. 

HISTORY. Cuba was discovered by Columbus during 
his first voyage, on October 28, 1492. He called it Juana, 
after Princess Juana, daughter of his patrons, Ferdinand 
and Isabella ; but after Ferdinand's death it was renamed 
Fernandina. It was subsequently called Santiago, in 
honour of the patron saint of Spain, and, later, Ave Maria, 
before it reverted to its native name, Cuba. In 1 5 1 1 Diego 
Velasquez formed several settlements, including that of 
Havana, which was established on its present site in 15 19. 
Slaves began to be introduced as early as 1523, and the 
cultivation of tobacco and sugar was successfully started. 
Havana was frequently attacked by pirates and buccaneers, 
and in 1762 it was captured by the English under Lord 
Albemarle and Admiral Sir George Pocock. In the fol- 
lowing year the island was restored to Spain in exchange 
for the Floridas by the Treaty of Paris. The most brilliant 
period of Cuba's existence opened in 1 790 with the Governor- 
ship of Las Casas. In 1848 President Polk suggested the 



Jfc 



CUBA 383 

transfer of the island to the United States for $1,000,000, 
and in the latter part of the nineteenth century constant 
efforts were made by the Cubans to shake off the tyrannical 
rule of Spain. In 1895 the final revolution broke out under 
Gomez, Maceo, Marti, Garcia, and others. The Spaniards, 
in their efforts to suppress it, adopted drastic measures, 
including the erection of block-houses and barbed wire 
entanglements, and the concentration of non-combatants 
in camps, a proceeding which led to much suffering, but 
without avail. The American people showed their sym- 
pathy with the " reconcentrados " by gifts of food, &c. ; 
but no official action was taken by the United States until 
their battleship Maine was blown up — by a Spanish mine 
it was alleged — in Havana Harbour in February 1898. 
They then, yielding to pressure of public opinion, inter- 
vened. On April 20 the withdrawal of the Spanish troops 
was demanded. Hostilities resulted, and on July 3 a 
Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera was destroyed ship 
by ship as it left Santiago Harbour, the entrance of which 
Lieut. Hobson, an American, had gallantly endeavoured to 
block by sinking the Merrimac in the fairway, and on 
July 1 5 the city capitulated. By the Treaty of Paris which 
followed the war, Cuba was surrendered to the United 
States in trust for the Cuban people. After a period of 
military rule, the Cuban Republic was established under 
the protection of the United States, which retained Guanta- 
namo as a naval station. 

CONSTITUTION. Cuba is an independent republic 
under the protection of the United States. The constitu- 
tion was framed during the American occupation and was 
adopted on February 21, 1901. The President is elected 
for four years by an electoral college. The Congress con- 
sists of two houses, a Senate comprising four members 
from each province chosen by a provincial electoral board 
and a House of Representatives whose members are 
elected by the people for four years, half retiring every 
two years. There is one representative for every 25,000 
inhabitants. 

HOTELS. Most of the hot eis in Cuba are hotels, which 
is more than can be said of many of the houses passing as 



384 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

such in other parts of the West Indies. In Havana the 
Hotel Inglaterra, facing Central Park, is recommended ; 
also the Hotel Sevilla, which has a charming palm court, 
the Hotel Plaza, and the Pasage Hotel on the Prado. The 
Telegrafo Hotel, facing Central Park, and the Hotel Mira- 
mar are also very well spoken of. The rates at the best 
hotels run from $3.50 per day and upwards (American 
plan), meals being paid for when taken. 

Antilla. Hotel Antilla. Camagiiey. Hotel Camagiiey. 
Matanzas. Hotel Paris. Pinar del Rio. Hotel Ricardo. 
Santiago. Hotel Venus. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Cuba can be reached 
by the steamers of the companies numbered 1, 9, 10, 15, 
21, 22, 23A, 24A and 27 in the list on pages 14 to 27. 

At Havana landing is effected from some steamers at 
the docks and from others by tender or shore boat, at 
Santiago at the wharf or by boat, and at Antilla by shore 
boat ($1.00 return). 

In Havana, harbour ferry steamers ply regularly between 
the railway wharf and Regla (5 cents) and Casa Blanca 
(5 cents). Electric cars run in connection with the Regla 
service to Guanabacoa. 

The cab and carriage fares in the inland cities of Cuba 
are fixed municipal rates, and, in case of doubt, passengers 
should request the driver to show the official printed 
schedule of charges. In every case where it is possible, the 
hiring of cabs, carriages, and other vehicles by the hour 
should be done through the hotel interpreters, who are 
charged with the special care of patrons. The rate for 
cab and carriage hire per hour varies from 7 5 cents, to $1.50 
in the several cities. 

The first railway in Cuba was the line from Havana to 
Guines, which was opened as far back as 1837 and now 
forms part of the system of the United Railways of Havana 
and Regla Warehouses Limited. The island is covered 
with a net- work of lines of over 2200 miles in extent. The 
most important are those of the United Railways, the Cuban 
Railroad, Havana Central Railroad, Guantanamo Western 
Railroad, and Havana Terminal Railroad Companies. 

The table opposite gives the chief towns mentioned in the 



CUBA 385 

following pages, their distance from Havana, and the time 
taken in reaching them, with the first-class fares : 





iVliles 




Approximate 
time taken. 


Fares. 




Single. 


Return. 


Miles 




hr. min. 


$ 


$ 


517 


Antilla . 


22 30 


23.33 




36 


Batabano 




1 55 


2.12 


3.00 


340 


Camagiiey 




14 15 


15-49 


23.24 


109 


Cardenas 




4 18 


5-43 


7-5o 


195 


Cienfuegos 




8 35 


8.69 




31 


Guana jay 




1 30 


o.55 


. . 


5/8 


Guantanamo 










32 


Giiines 




. . 


°-93 




53 


Madruga 




2 17 


3.01 


4.00 


10 


Marianao 




14 


.10 


.20 


58 


Matanzas 




1 55 


3.20 


4.50 


in 
241 
180 


Pinar del Rio . 




4 45 


5.54 


7.76 


Sancti Spiritus 


10 25 


n. 19 




Santa Clara 


7 23 


8-53 




538 


Santiago de Cuba 


23 30 


24.11 


36-17 



Tourists wishing to see Havana and Cuba to advantage 
can not do better than pay a visit to Mr. Foster's Infor- 
mation Office, Prado and Central Park, where they will 
be able to obtain much valuable advice. Travellers by 
train will find the "folders " of the various railroad com- 
panies useful sources of information. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Havana (population 353,509), 
capital of Cuba, the San Cristobal de la Habana of the 
Spaniards, stands on the shores of a magnificent land- 
locked harbour towards the eastern end of the north side 
of the island, 90 miles from Key West, the last of a chain 
of coral islets — now connected by railway — extending from 
the south of Florida. The chief settlement of Havana 
was first established by the Adelantado Don Diego Velas- 
quez on July 25, 15 15, on the south coast near the mouth 
of the Giiines or Mayabeque River. From there it was 
transferred to a spot on the north coast which, on account 
of its exposed position and consequent liability to attack 



386 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

by pirates, was in turn abandoned in favour of the present 
site in 1519. By its founder it was proudly named " Llave 
del Nuevo Mundo y Baluarte de las Indias Occidentales " 
(" The Key of the New World and the Bulwark of the 
West Indies "). 

The approach to the city of Havana from the sea has 
been justly praised by many well-known writers. Beyond 
the surf-beaten coast the first conspicuous object to strike 
the eye is the historic Mono Castle, whose venerable 
fortifications command the narrow bottle-neck entrance 
to the harbour, and its tall lighthouse, erected in 1844 by 
Governor-General O'Donnell, whose name is inscribed 
upon it. It may be mentioned that the name Morro, 
which is also given to similarly placed fortresses at Santiago 
and at San Juan, Porto Rico, signifies "promontory." 
The castle, which was erected between the years 1589 and 
1597, is partly hewn out of the rock and partly constructed 
of solid blocks of rock, and this gives it an irregular appear- 
ance. It is reached by an inclined road, the moat, which 
is about 70 feet deep, being crossed by a drawbridge. The 
Morro was captured by the English under Lord Albemarle 
and Admiral Sir George Pocock in 1762, and a battery to 
the east of the Castle perpetuates the memory of the 
gallant Captain Velasco, who preferred to die fighting 
rather than be taken prisoner. The first landing was 
effected on June 7 to the east of the harbour, and the 
Morro was closely invested by land and sea, the Spanish 
Fleet of twenty vessels remaining in the harbour just 
as Admiral Cervera's ships were to do one hundred 
find thirty-six years later at Santiago. The English having 
made a breach in the walls of the Morro mounted it, and 
then, to quote the Annual Register of 1762 : 

They entered the fort, and formed themselves with so much 
celerity, and with such spirited coolness of resolution, that 
the enemy, who were drawn up to receive them, and who 
might have made the assault an affair of great bloodshed, 
astonished at their countenance, fled on all hands. About four 
hundred were slaughtered on the spot, or ran to the water, 
where they perished. Four hundred more threw down their 
arms, and obtained quarter. The second in command, the 
Marquis de Gonsales (sic), fell whilst he was making brave but 




yoagaa 



dDDDQ 
ODDOQ 

man 



OOQQD 




Dqir 



CUBA 387 

ineffectual efforts to animate and rally his people. Don Lewis 
de Velasco, the Governor, who had hitherto defended the fort 
with such obstinate bravery, seemed resolved in this extremity 
to share the same fate with it. He collected an hundred men 
in an intrenchment he had made round his colours. But seeing 
that all his companies were fled from him, or slaughtered about 
him, disdaining to retire or call for quarter, he received a mortal 
wound, and fell, offering his sword to his conquerors. The 
English wept with pity and admiration. 

The plan of the siege on next page is reproduced from the 
Gentleman's Magazine for October 1762. The Spanish 
fleet is seen lying in the harbour, the mouth of which was 
protected by a chain boom. 

The steamer passes under the walls of the Morro by a 
narrow channel scarcely more than 1000 feet in width. 
On the right is another fort known as La Punta, and beyond 
it the city of Havana, round the seaward side of which is 
the magnificent driveway on a sea-wall called the Malecon, 
with its gardens and handsome bandstand. Beyond the 
Morro on the left are the heights, bristling with elaborate 
fortifications and barracks, known as the Cabanas, the 
erection of which was begun in 1763, the year after the 
capture of the Morro by the English, and completed in 
1774. The fortress is entered by a massive gateway 
approached by a drawbridge. The chief point of interest 
is the Laurel Ditch, where many Cubans were shot by the 
Spanish soldiers during the revolution. For a distance 
of 85 feet along the wall the marks of the bullets can dis- 
tinctly be traced. A bronze tablet let in commemorates 
this appalling sacrifice of life. From the ramparts a 
superb view of Havana can be obtained. On the parapet 
is a marble column erected in honour of the repulse of the 
expedition of Lopez and the American Colonel Crittenden 
in 1 85 1. This unfortunate colonel, who was a West 
Point graduate and came from Kentucky, was persuaded 
by Lopez to join an expedition to attempt to free Cuba. 
They landed about 35 miles from Havana, and were 
defeated by the Spanish forces. Crittenden and fifty of 
his men were captured and confined in the fort of Atares 
across the harbour, and were eventually placed in a row 
and shot down by the Spanish troops. Lopez, a Venezuelan 



POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 




sTii»«ff«. ^y^'d ■ Him 






a". b6 % 



^\ 













CO 



CUBA 389 

by birth, was publicly garrotted at the foot of the 
Prado. 

A steam of just under a mile past the Morro and Cabanas 
brings the steamer into the spacious harbour of Havana, 
the extreme length of which is about 3 miles, and the maxi- 
mum breadth i£ miles. The harbour once had the reputa- 
tion of being one of the filthiest in the world. For nearly 
three centuries it received the sewage and refuse of the city 
which, in the absence of any streams or rivers to carry them 
out to sea, accumulated to such an extent as to prove a 
serious menace to health. So foul indeed was the mud that 
captains of vessels preferred to make fast to buoys instead 
of dropping their anchors into it. In recent years, however, 
some improvement has been effected by dredging, and the 
provision of a sewerage system and the adoption of sanitary 
improvements have rendered Havana quite healthy. It 
was in this harbour that the Spanish treasure fleets known 
as the Galleons and the Flota used to collect before their 
departure for Europe, and it was in this harbour, too, 
that the United States cruiser Maine (Captain Sigsbee) 
was blown up at 9.40 p.m. on February 15, 1898, an event 
which was the immediate cause of the outbreak of war 
between the United States and Spain. 270 men and 
2 officers were killed, and it was claimed that the disaster 
was due to the explosion of a mine by the Spanish. Whether 
this was really the case or not has been the subject of 
much subsequent discussion ; but the cry which was 
raised, " Remember the Maine," proved irresistible. For 
years after the war the wreck lay where she sank with 
the Stars and Stripes flying at half mast over her, but in 
191 2 the vessel was raised and towed out to sea and buried. 
The following account of the ceremony was given by an 
American sailor, J. L. Fahy, in a letter to a comrade : 

Shortly after one o'clock the United States navy tug Osceola 
made fast to the Maine and, with the assistance of two other 
tugs, started to tow the remains of that ill-fated vessel to her 
final resting place. As they approached the entrance of the 
harbour the North Carolina got under way, followed by this 
vessel (Birmingham), and that was the start of the strangest 
funeral procession ever witnessed, for every vessel in the harbour, 
no matter of what description, got into line. As the Maine 



390 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

passed Morro, a salute of twenty-one guns was fired, and during 
all this time they had a band playing a " Dead March." Slowly 
she was towed to sea, and at about five o'clock the three blasts 
from the whistle of the North Carolina informed us that the 
proper position outside the three-mile limit had been reached. 
It was then the men became eager and all eyes were centred 
on the decks of the Maine, and we could see the men on board, 
about half a dozen of them, moving about. Then they com- 
menced to open up the sluices and sea-cocks, and after this was 
done, and they had gone over the side into a boat and then to a 
tug, and the lines from the tugs had been cast off, it was piteous 
to watch her drift and stagger about as the sea and current 
directed, unable to help herself, she who had once been the 
pride of our navy, now a poor helpless wreck. Like a poor 
doomed wretch about to be executed and who had lost his 
sight, she drifted about, rolling a little, and it seemed for a long 
time that she was not filling up at all, but after a time it became 
perceptible ; and she then seemed to go down little by little 
until she commenced to take the seas over her deck, and then 
she filled rapidly and finally went out of sight in one last long 
plunge. Believe me, I never want to see anything like it again. 

Landing is effected at Havana from some steamers at 
the wharf and from others by tender or shore boat. The 
Customs department has its headquarters in an old Church. 
The formalities where tourists are concerned are not 
very serious. The handsome new Railway station of 
the United Railways of Havana and Regla Warehouses 
Limited is situated near the south of the town where the 
arsenal stood. A short drive from the wharf takes one to 
Colon Park, comprising the small La India Park and the 
old Campo Marte, or parade ground, the first of a series of 
parks and avenues extending across Havana from south to 
north. They follow closely the direction of the old walls, 
the position of which is clearly shown on the old plan on 
page 388, and the terms intramural and extramural are 
still used to define the position of buildings. La India 
Park takes its name from a charming statue of an Indian 
maiden emblematic of Havana, which was the gift of 
Count de Villanueva, the former owner of the property. 
On the site of the old railway station near by is the new 
Presidential Palace. From Colon Park the Upper Prado 
leads to Central Park, from which the Prado, a leafy 
avenue of laurel trees, extends to the Malecon, or sea-wall. 
In Central Park there is a statue of Jose Martij(i853-i895), 



CUBA 391 

one of the prime movers in the revolution of 1895, 
from the chisel of the Cuban sculptor of Villalta de 
Saavedra. 

The walls were begun in 1671 and completed in 1702 ; 
but after the successful attack by the English in 1762 
the fortifications were greatly strengthened. The Abbe 
Raynal states in his history that between 1763 and 1777 
£93 3.9 1 6 4 s - n£d« was spent on them. The walls were 
demolished between 1863 and 1880, and only fragments 
remain at the head of Teniente Street and behind the 
Church of the Angel. 

From Central Park, Pi y Margall (the name is that of a 
Cuban Patriot), or Obispo (Bishop), and O'Reilly streets 
run parallel in a north-easterly direction to the old Presi- 
dent's Palace in the Plaza de Armas, a substantial building 
erected in 1834. These two streets, which are very narrow 
but extremely picturesque with their tinted awnings and 
quaint signs, form the chief shopping centre in Havana. 
O'Reilly Street owes its title to the Spanish General of 
that name, who entered the city by it while the English 
left by Obispo Street when Havana was restored to Spain 
in 1763. 

The Plaza de Armas is a centre of interest ; to the north 
of it is La Fuerza, said to be the oldest fortress in the New 
World. It was erected by Hernando de Soto in 15 19. 
The story goes that when that worthy set sail to conquer 
Florida he left his wife, Dona Isabella, behind. Here for 
four years she anxiously awaited the return of her husband, 
and here, when she heard of the failure of the expedition, 
she died broken-hearted. On the tower is the Habana, a 
figure emblematic of the city. 

Facing the President's Palace is El Templete, a small 
temple which was erected in 1828 and dedicated on March 9 
in that year to mark the spot — originally identified by a 
huge silk-cotton tree — where the first Council met and the 
first Mass was sung when the city was established in 1519. 
It was here that the reputed remains of Columbus first 
rested when they were transferred fto Havana from Seville 
in 1795. Arrete records that in 1755 tne silk-cotton tree 
was still living. In 1747 Captain General F. Cagigar 



392 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

erected an obelisk of stone as a permanent memorial. A 
bronze tablet in the enclosure is inscribed : 

During the reign of his Majesty Don Fernando VII, under the 
Presidency and Governorship of Don Francisco Dionisio Vives, 
the most faithful, religious, and pacific Havana erected this 
simple monument, consecrating the place where, in the year 
1 519, was celebrated the first mass and holy office, the Bishop 
Don Juan Jose Diaz de Espada solemnizing the Divine Sacrifice 
of the Mass on the 9th day of March, 1828. 

In the court there is a bust of Columbus which was studied 
by the American painter John Vanderlyn, for his painting 
of the landing of Columbus in the rotunda of the Capitol 
at Washington. 

The temple contains three commemorative paintings by 
Escobar of the installation of the first Council at Santiago, 
the celebration of Mass, and the inauguration of the monu- 
ment. The temple is only opened to the public on 
November 16, the official " birthday " of Havana. Though 
the city was founded on St. Christopher's Day, the Pope 
gave permission for it to be celebrated on November 16 in- 
stead of that day so that the festivities might not clash with 
those in honour of St. James, whose date is the same as 
that of St. Christopher. Permission to visit the temple 
can, however, generally be obtained from the Mayor. 

The building at the seaward end of the Prado was 
formerly the Carcel or jail, which was erected in 1839 by 
convict labour. Just beyond it is the Students' Memorial, 
a simple piece of the wall of the old Commissary Building, 
a tablet let into which records that on November 27, 1871, 
eight young Cuban students were sacrificed on the spot 
by the Spanish volunteers. A more elaborate memorial 
stands in Colon Cemetery to the west of the city. Here 
burials still take place in niches or columbaria like those of 
the early Christians. 

During the ten years' war for freedom from 1868 to 1878, 
there was great animosity between the Spaniards and Cubans. 
Children born to Spanish parents in the island were considered 
Cubans, and many families were consequently divided among 
themselves. In 1871 a certain Gonzalo Castafion, in an ultra- 
Spanish paper which he edited called The Voice of Cuba, made 
an attack on Cuban women, and was accordingly challenged 



CUBA 393 

by a patriot to fight a duel at Key West. The challenge having 
been accepted, the fight took place and the Spaniard was killed. 
His body was brought to Havana and buried with much ceremony 
in one of the niches in the cemetery behind San Lazaro hospital. 
Some little time later, a party of students from Havana Univer- 
sity were alleged to have spoken disrespectfully of Castafion 
and to have desecrated his tomb. This enraged the Spanish 
Volunteers, who demanded vengeance. It being impossible to 
ascertain which of the students were guilty, an entire class 
consisting of forty young men was arrested and tried by court- 
martial. So great was the outcry that no lawyer could be found 
to defend their case, until a Spanish officer, whose name, Cape- 
devilla, deserves to be remembered, offered to do so. This 
brave man conducted the defence with such ability that the 
Court could no nothing else but acquit the boys. This made 
the Volunteers still more angry, and they insisted that the 
young men should be tried by court martial, and that two-thirds 
of the judges should be officers of their force. The Captain- 
General foolishly yielded to the request, and the unfortunate 
boys, not one of whom was over sixteen years of age, being again 
put on their trial, were found guilty, the sentence being that 
the forty should be ranged in a line and every fifth of them 
shot, the remaining thirty-two being condemned to be trans- 
ported to Africa. The sentence was duly carried out and the 
lads were ranged against the Commissary building. When the 
Spanish sergeant ordered every fifth boy to step forward, they 
comported themselves like heroes, and it is said that one among 
them, making a rapid calculation and finding that his younger 
brother was the fifth and would consequently die, took his place. 
One prominent Havana merchant, seeing that his son was to 
be shot, fell on his knees and offered to pay as his ransom his 
weight in gold, but to no avail. The eight boys were then 
made to kneel before the part of the wall where the memorial 
tablet now is and were brutally murdered — for it was nothing 
else — by the Spanish Volunteers. When the news of this 
massacre reached Spain, the Cortes ordered an investigation to 
be made, and after" the inquiry the students were pronounced 
to be guiltless, those sentenced to transportation being " par- 
doned." Many years afterwards, a son of Castafion visited the 
cemetery, and after examining the tomb in the presence of a 
Notary-Public, made a declaration that it had never been 
disturbed. 

The monument, which was erected by public subscrip- 
tion and executed by the Cuban sculptor Saavedra, consists 
of an elaborately carved pedestal supporting a shaft which 
is draped. At the base are two figures symbolical of 
Justice, with scales ill-balanced and broken sword, and 
History, upon whose scroll is inscribed the word Verd^p, 



394 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Truth. Emerging from an open door is the winged figure 
of Innocence, bearing a tablet inscribed Immunis, Guiltless. 

The Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin of the Immaculate 
Conception, stands near the junction of Empedrado and 
San Ignacio Streets. It was built in 1704 by the Jesuits 
in the style familiar in Spanish America with its twin 
towers and massive walls. When Santo Domingo was 
ceded to France remains believed to be those of Columbus 
were removed to this Cathedral with great ceremony, and 
here they remained until 1899, when, after the Spanish- 
American war, they were transferred to Seville. It is now 
generally believed that the remains in question were not 
those of the discoverer, but of a member of his family 
(see page 414). Other churches of note are those of Santo 
Domingo (begun in 1578), Santa Catalina (1700), and La 
Merced (1744), which has several oil paintings of merit. 

Permission to visit one or more of the numerous Tobacco 
factories can readily be obtained. Here, while the 
employees manufacture the cigars for which Havana is 
justly famous, an individual lightens the monotony of 
their labours by reading aloud some popular work or 
newspaper to them. 

Some Country Excursions 

Marianao Beach, on the Gulf of Mexico (10 miles west 
of Havana, by electric train every 1 5 minutes from Concha 
Station, Carlos III Street, or every few minutes via Vedado), 
is much resorted to on account of the delightful surf bathing 
to be enjoyed there. The train runs through some of the 
most attractive suburbs of Havana, including Puentes 
Grandes, Buena Vista, and Marianao town (population 
9332 ; 9 miles). Near the beach the palatial Havana 
Country Club with an 18 -hole golf course is situated. 

The expedition to Matanzas (58 miles, 1 hour 55 minutes 
by train) and back can be made in a day, special personally 
conducted tours being arranged during the tourist season 
by the United Railways of Havana. The special fare, $8.50 
(children under twelve $5.50), covers first-class railway 
fare, carriage to hotel, lunch, drive to the Hermitage o£ 
Mongerrate, the Yumuri Valley, and admission to the 



CUBA 395 

Bellamar Caves. The line passes through extensive fields 
of sugar-cane, the section between Jaruco and Aguacate 
being one of the most productive in Cuba. At the latter 
place is the Rosario Central Factory. Between Empalme, 
(whence a branch runs through a hilly country to Madruga, 
population 2175), three hours from Havana, a typical 
Cuban village famous for its silver and iron springs, and 
Ceiba Mocha, is a deep cutting lined with maidenhair ferns 
and tropical foliage of great beauty. After passing the 
unpretentious village of Ceiba Mocha (left) and extensive 
orange groves (right), the train runs through the valley 
of the San Juan river, the great Pan of Matanzas (1000 feet) 
being the most prominent feature. Matanzas (population 
36,000), the second city and seaport of Cuba, is situated 
on the south and east side of a spacious harbour. Its 
streets are well laid out and it has several handsome plazas 
and ornamental trees and flowers. A feature of the town 
is a leafy boulevard known as the Paseo. The valley of 
the Yumuri, which was praised by Humboldt, is best 
seen from the Hermitage of Monserrate and from the summit 
of the opposite hill, which is reached through a residential 
quarter known as Versailles. The Yumuri Valley is a vast 
natural amphitheatre five or six miles in diameter with 
precipitous sides except towards the sea, where the river 
finds an outlet through the vertical walls of a canon. It 
was the scene of a massacre of the Arawaks in 1 5 1 1 . Hence 
the names Matanzas (slaughtering) and Yumuri, said to 
be a corruption of Io Mori, " I die," the cry of the victims. 
Far down below our very feet, lay the lovely valley of the 
Yumuri, with its grounds now broken into sharp peaks, now 
gently undulating ; its cane-fields with their pea-green verdure, 
and the dark-green foliage of the tall palms scattered irregularly 
over them ; its golden orange -groves, and luxuriant plantains, 
with broad waving leaves ; its cocoas, its almonds, and its 
coffee, with here and there a gigantic Ceyba spreading out its 
massive arms high in air. Notes on Cuba. 

The caves of Bellamar are situated on a plateau about 
two miles beyond Matanzas. They are entered by a broad 
stairway cut out of the rock in a small house. The caves 
are lined on all sides with wonderful crystal stalactites, 
which are illuminated by electric light. The largest hall 



396 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

is the Gothic Temple, 250 feet long by 80. They were dis- 
covered quite by accident by a workman in 1861, who was 
quarrying limestone for a kiln. To the man's astonish- 
ment his crowbar, inserted in a crevice to dislodge a rock, 
slipped out of his hands right through the rock and dis- 
appeared. 

Among many interesting expeditions from Matanzas 
may be mentioned a trip on the San Juan and Canimar 
rivers, the latter winding between steep cliffs for a distance 
of about eight miles, and then entering an almost impene- 
trable tropical jungle. The town has several bathing 
establishments, and its water, known as Copey, is recom- 
mended for disorders of the digestive organs. 

Visitors — and especially those interested in the fragrant 
weed — should not fail to visit the famed Vuelta Aba jo 
(lower turn) district at the western end of the province 
of Pinar del Rio, which is reached by the Western Railway 
of Havana. The line passes Rancho Boyeros and Santiago 
de las Vegas, where much citrus fruit is cultivated. At 
Giiira (18 miles) tobacco cultivation begins. 

Artemisa is the junction for Guanajay (9 miles distant), 
whence Havana can be reached by electric line. 

Paso Real (84 miles from Havana) is the station for 
San Diego de los Banos, famed for its sulphur baths. 

Pinar del Rio (population 10,634 ; 1 1 1 miles from 
Havana), the chief town of the Vuelta Abajo district, has 
several excellent hotels. 

Cardenas, 109 miles east of Havana (4 hours 18 minutes 
by train), is an important city (population 24,280), situated 
on the north coast, much sugar being shipped from it. A 
few miles to the north is Varadero, which has one of the 
finest beaches in Cuba. It is reached either by steamboats 
across the bay or by motor-cars and coaches over the 
highway. 

CienfuegOS, 195 miles from Havana, on the shore of the 
Caribbean Sea, is a modern city (population 30,100) with 
picturesque plazas. Its magnificent bay, 11 miles long 
by 3 to 5 in width, is one of the finest natural harbours in 
this part of the world. The city has several delightful 
suburbs, including Punta Gorda, Cayo Carenas, and Castillo 



CUBA 39; 

Jagua. The latter is particularly interesting on account 
of its old castle, built in the time of Philip V of Spain to 
protect the harbour from pirates. 

It is now possible to visit Eastern Cuba in great comfort, 
thanks to the service provided by the Cuba Railroad 
Company. Two trains leave Havana daily, one in the 
early morning and the other at night, for Santiago. 
In the provinces of Santa Clara, Camagiiey, and 
Santiago, the road runs through rolling plains and moun- 
tainous regions. Camagiiey (population 29,616 ; 340 
miles) has many old mediaeval buildings. The climate of 
the city, which lies on a plain 550 feet above sea-level, 
is particularly good. Among the attractions of the place 
are its weather-worn churches, the most interesting being 
those of La Merced and La Soledad. The former was built 
about the year 1628 by missionaries of Our Lady of Mercy. 
Its high altar is of silver and was fashioned from 40,000 
Spanish dollars. The latter was a hermitage in 1697. 
The present building was begun in 1758. The frescoes 
date from about 1852. The picturesque Hotel Camagiiey 
occupies the old Spanish military barracks. Santa Clara 
(population 16,702 ; 180 miles) is the second inland town 
in importance. 

Santiago de Cuba (population 45,470 ; 538 miles), on 
the shores of the Caribbean Sea, nestles at the foot of lofty 
mountains. Its spacious harbour, like that of Havana, 
is almost land-locked, the promontory protecting it having 
also a Monro Castle, of great antiquity. It was in this 
harbour that Admiral Cervera lay from May 19 to July 3, 
1898, when his vessels steamed out to destruction, and it 
was the bottle-necked entrance which Lieutenant Hobson 
courageously endeavoured to block by sinking the Merrimac. 

Santiago is an extremely picturesque town with its 
irregular streets of brightly coloured houses with red-tiled 
roofs, its plazas, and its many trees. The best shops are 
in Marina Street — which extends from the Plaza to the 
bay — and San Tomas Street. Along the bay is the Ala- 
meda, a charming drive-way. $? 

One of the favourite expeditions from Santiago is^ to 
the battle-field of San Juan and El Caney (4 miles), which 



398 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

now comprise a public park. A simple column surmounted 
by a shell on San Juan Hill is inscribed : 

IN MEMORY OF 

THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, 

WHO WERE KILLED IN THE ASSAULT AND CAPTURE 

OF THIS RIDGE JULY I, 1 898, 

AND THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO, JULY ISt TO JULY 1 6th, 1 898. 

WAR BETWEEN SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES. 

Near by is the Surrender Tree, a silk-cotton tree under 
which General Toral surrendered Santiago to General 
Shatter on July 17, 1898. 

Cobre (9 miles from Santiago), whose name is attributable 
to the existence of copper mines in the neighbourhood, is 
worth visiting on account of the famous shrine of Nuestra 
Sefiora de la caridad del Cobre (Our Lady of Charity of 
Cobre). Here, as at Boulogne in France, a miraculous 
image of the Virgin which was found floating out at sea 
and salved is enshrined. 

About 40 miles to the east of Santiago is the American 
naval station of Guantanamo. Historically the place is 
of interest by reason of the fact that it was here that the 
English under Admiral Vernon and General Wentworth 
landed in 1741 to attack Santiago. They called the 
harbour Cumberland Bay. Guantanamo is a shipping port 
of consequence. The harbour, which is 10 miles long by 4 
wide in places, has an outer and inner basin, the latter 
being approached by an extremely narrow entrance. 
Guantanamo has two admirable shipping ports in Boqueron 
and Caimanera. 

To the north of Santiago is the port of AntiUa (popula- 
tion 1 100 ; 517 miles), on Nipe Bay, which is reached by 
a branch line from Alto Cedro. If the present rate of 
development is continued, this port will soon be one of 
the most prosperous in the island. Several shipping com- 
panies already include this town-in-the-making among their 
ports of call, and there is usually time to visit Preston, the 
immense sugar factory of the United Fruit Company, 
between the arrival and departure of steamers. The wooded 
hill beyond Antilla, which commands a fine view of the 



ISLE OF PINES, PORTO RICO 399 

town and bay and the blue masses of the Mayari Mountains, 
will in time become a city park. 

A trip to Batabano, on the south coast ($6 miles from 
Havana ; 1 hour 55 mins. by train), and back can easily be 
made in an afternoon. The place is the scene of an interest- 
ing sponge fishery, and the port of departure of the steamer 
for the Isle of Pines. 

THE ISLE OP PINES 

The Isle of Pines, a dependency of Cuba, with an 
area of 840 square miles and a population of about 5000, 
of whom 2000 are Americans, can be reached either from 
Batabano or Santiago. Leaving Batabano overnight 
(Monday, Wednesday, or Friday), the steamer reaches the 
island early on the following morning. (Fares : Single 
$7.60, return $12.00.) The steamer returns to Batabano 
on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Nueva Gerona, 
the capital, on the Rio Casas, is almost surrounded by 
mountains, the Sierra de las Casas and the Sierra de Caballas. 
The island has become quite an American settlement, and at 
Santa Fe and Los Indios many prosperous citrus and 
pine-apple plantations can be seen. Other progressive 
centres are those of Santa Barbara and West McKinley. 

In the northern half of the island there are many groves 
of oranges, grape-fruit, limes and pine-apples, all of which 
fruits grow to perfection in this favoured climate. 

The Isle of Pines is dotted with the bungalows of the 
American settlers, many of which are quite artistic. In 
the winter months the American colony is swelled by many 
visitors from the United States, who amuse themselves by 
bathing off the delightful beaches of Nueva Gerona and 
Bibijagua, by motoring over the excellent roads, and by 
boating on the Casas river. 

PORTO RICO 

Borinquen : The Rich Port 

GENERAL ASPECT. Porto Rico, formerly and more 
correctly known as Puerto Rico, lies in latitude 1 8° 1 5' N. and 
longitude 6o° 30' W., 70 miles to the east of Haiti, from which 
it is separated by the Mona Passage, and an equal distance 



40O POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

west of St. Thomas and St. Kitts. The island is 108 miles 
long, and its total area is 3530 square miles, or rather 
smaller than that of Jamaica and somewhat less than 
half of that of the State of New Jersey. The population 
of the island, which has lately risen with great rapidity, is 
1,118,000, or 325 to the square mile, of whom no fewer 
than two-thirds are classed as white, the remaining third 
being negroes. 

Porto Rico is mountainous, a low range of mountains 
extending through its greatest length. The highest peak, 
El Yunque — the Anvil — rises in the north-east corner to 
3600 feet. The slopes of the mountains resolve themselves 
near the coast into plains of great beauty and fertility. 
The island is well watered, the chief rivers being the Rio 
Loiza, the Rio de la Plata, Rio Manati, and Rio Arecibo, 
which empty themselves on the north side. San Juan, 
the capital (population, 48,716), is situated on an island 
promontory which encloses an almost land-locked harbour 
on the north coast. Ponce (35,000), the second town in 
size, is situated on the south side, and Mayagiiez (popula- 
tion 16,563), another town of importance, is near the 
centre of the west coast overlooking Mona Passage. Porto 
Rico has three island dependencies, namely Mona, in the 
channel of the same name, and Vieques, or Crab Island, 
and Culebra, off the east coast. Vieques, which is 21 
miles long and 6 wide, is extremely fertile and supports a 
population of some thousands. Culebra, on the other 
hand, is almost barren, the inhabitants being dependent 
on rain for their water supply. 

INDUSTRIES. Under the Spanish regime coffee was 
the principal industry of the island, but since the American 
occupation, sugar, which was so highly protected by the 
Payne Tariff, has taken first place among the exports 
of the island, with tobacco, its no less favoured neighbour, 
a good second. It remains to be seen how these industries 
will be affected by the Underwood Tariff, which provides 
for the free admission of sugar into the United States 
from 1916. Coffee, which was protected under Spanish 
rule, is one of the few products which is on America's 
" free list," and this, combined with the partial destruction 



PORTO RICO 



401 



of the plantations by the severe cyclone of 1899, has done 
much to injure this one-time important industry. Porto 
Rico coffee, which is sold almost exclusively in Europe, 
only requires to be better known for it to rank with the 
finest produced in the world. In 19 13 the principal exports 
were : 

Sugar ..... $26,619,158 

Tobacco .... $ 5,800,686 

Coffee $ 8,511,316 

FINANCIAL POSITION. The financial position of the 
colony is shown by the following comparative table of 
its revenue and expenditure, and imports and exports, for 
the last ten years : 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 






$ 


$ 


1904 




13,169,029 


16,265,903 


1905 




16,536,259 


18,709,565 


1906 




21,827,665 


23,257.530 


1907 




29,267,172 


26,996,300 


1908 


Figures 1 904- 1 9 1 2 


25,825,665 


30,644,490 


1909 


not available. 


26,554,326 


30,391,225 


1910 




30,634,855 


37,960,219 


1911 




38,786,997 


39,918,367 


1912 




42,926,473 


49,705,413 


*9*3 


$4,344,227 [$4,516,729 


36,900,062 


49,103,565 



CLIMATE. Being but a few degrees within the tropics, 
Porto Rico enjoys exceptionally favourable climatic condi- 
tions. The weather is cool in the winter months, and there 
is always a marked difference between the night and day 
temperatures. From November to March the temperature 
rarely rises above 75 ° Fahr., while the thermometer often 
falls as low as from 50 Fahr. to 6o° Fahr. The lowlands in 
the north have a superabundance of rain, but the south is 
subject to droughts. Since the occupation of the island 
by the United States, its sanitation has undergone marked 
improvement. 

HISTORY. Porto Rico, the ' ' rich port ' ' of the Spaniards 
and the Borinquen of the original Arawak inhabitants, 
was discovered by Columbus in 1495. In 1508 Juan 

2C 



402 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Ponce de Leon, who had been one of the discoverer's 
companions on his first voyage, having received permission 
from Nicolas de Ovanda, Governor of Hispaniola, to 
explore the island, founded a settlement at Caparra, near 
the present capital. The settlement was ineffectually 
attacked by Drake in 1595, "with sixe of the Queene's 
shippes, and, twenty-one other shippes and barkes, con- 
taining 2500 men and boys." Sir John Hawkins, who 
accompanied the expedition, " was extreme sicke ; which 
his sickness began upon the newes of the taking of the 
Francis." He died off the island on November 12, 
and was buried at sea. The ships anchored two miles 
to the east of the capital, and on the 13th they 
entered "the rode within the great castels " one of 
which contained "thirty-five tunnes of silver." Three 
years later the Earl of Cumberland endeavoured to capture 
the island, but without success. The Dutch under Heinrich 
tried to reduce it, and in 1678 an attempt was made in 
the same direction by the English, but both proved unsuc- 
cessful. Sir Ralph Abercromby and Admiral Harvey made 
a further attack on the island in 1797, two months after 
the capture of Trinidad, but after four days' siege they 
were compelled to retire. The sloops Beaver and Fury 
with the lighter vessels entered a small bay a few miles to 
the east of the capital and disembarked the troops without 
meeting with much opposition . Abercromby then advanced 
against the eastern side of the town and proceeded to 
bombard it. Owing, however, to the lagoon which sepa- 
rated it from the main island he could not get near enough, 
and after a few days he withdrew and re- embarked his 
troops " with the greatest order and regularity." In 1 820 a 
movement for independence was started, but Spanish 
supremacy was re-established in 1823. After remaining a 
Spanish possession for over four hundred years, the 
island was ceded to the United States after the Spanish- 
American War. On July 25, 1898, the United States fleet 
made a demonstration before San Juan. Meanwhile 3400 
men under General Miles were landed at Guanica on the 
south coast, 15 miles to the west of Ponce. Three days 
later that town was surrendered, the. Spanish Governor, 



PORTO RICO 403 

General Manuel Macias y Casado, falling back on the 
central ridge of mountains. The Americans then prepared 
to advance by separate routes across the island ; Guayama, 
Mayagiiez, and Comao were occupied, and part of the 
American army was within twenty miles of the north 
coast and the other had almost reached Aibonito along 
the Military Road, when news reached the island of the 
signature of the peace treaty of August 12, and hostilities 
were suspended. The island was finally ceded to the 
United States on December 10, 1898, by the treaty, which 
was signed on that date and ratified on February 6, 1899. 

CONSTITUTION. A Bill — commonly known as the 
" Foraker Bill " — providing for a civil government for 
Porto Rico was introduced into the fifty-sixth Congress of 
the United States and was passed and assented to by the 
President on April 12, 1900. Under this Act civil govern- 
ment was established and came into effect on May 1, 1900. 
The Governor is appointed by the President of the United 
States and holds office for four years. He and the six 
secretaries of departments are American. There are two 
legislative chambers, the Executive Council, or " Upper 
House," composed of the Government Secretary, Attorney- 
General, Treasurer, Auditor, Commissioner of the Interior, 
and Commissioner of Education, and five citizens appointed 
by the President, and the House of Delegates, or " Lower 
House," consisting of 35 members, elected by the people 
every two years. The island is represented in the Congress 
of the United States by a Resident Commissioner. Pre- 
sident Roosevelt in 1906 recommended the grant of United 
States citizenship to all Porto Ricans, but his suggestion 
has not yet been adopted by Congress. An endeavour is 
being made by Porto Ricans to secure self-government, 
and there is a movement in favour of independence under 
American protection. 

HOTELS. San Juan. Hotels Inglaterra, Eureka, 
Ronia, and Mona. Rooms, $1.50 to $3.00 per day. For 
meals the Restaurant Filippi is recommended. Ponce, 
Hotels Francais and Melia Rooms, $1.50 to $3.00 per day 
Mayaguez. Flotels Palmer and Paris. Board and lodging, 
$1.50 to $2.50 per-day. . 



404 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Porto Rico is served 
by the steamship companies numbered 10, 15, 17, 20 and 
27 in the list on pages 14 to 27. The railway of the Ameri- 
can Railroad Company of Porto Rico connects San Juan 
with Ponce and Carolina and Ponce with Guayama. The 
names of the principal stations are given below. 



SAN JUAN— PONCE 



Stations. 


Miles from 


Approx. 


San Juan. 


Time Taken. 






hr. min. 


San Juan City 


- 


- 


San Juan Station 




— 


7 


Talleres 




3* 


- 18 


Santurce 




3f 


- 21 


Martin P ena . 




5 


- 30 


Bayam6n 




12* 


- 52 


Toa Baja 




I3l 


1 16 


Dorado 




19* 


1 19 


San Vicente 




27! 


1 40 


Vega Baja 




29i 


1 46 


Manati 




36 


2 6 


Barceloneta 




40f 


2 18 


Cambalache 




5i 


2 49 


Arrecibo 




52| 


2 56 


Hatillo 




57f 


3 25 


Camuy 




62I 


3 30 


Quebradillas . 




69 


5 53 


Isabela X. 




7^ 


4 20 


Aguadilla Puente 




88i 


5 23 


Aguada 




94i 


5 43 


Corcega 




103I 


6 49 


Afiasco 




mi 


6 31 


Mayaguez Playa 




n6i 


6 46 


Mayaguez Ciudad 




H7i 


6 58 


Hormigueros . 




123 


7 15 


San German . 




I28# 


7 36 


Lajas Ciudad . 




i33i 


7 53 


Lajas Estacion 




i34l 


7 58 


Santa Rita 




146! 


8 33 


Yauco 




149I 


8 44 


Guayanilla 




I57i 


9 6 


Tallaboa 




162^ 


9 29 


Ponce 


171I 


9 45 



PORTO RICO 



4©S 



SAN JUA^ 


-CAROLINA 


Stations. 


Miles. 


Approx. 
Time Taken. 


San Juan City 

San Juan Station . 

Miramar 

Talleres 

Santurce 

Martin Peiia . 

Rio Piedras City 

Rio Piedras Station 

Carolina 




1* 

3i 
3l 
5 

6* 

7i 

i3t 


hr. min. 

- 15 

- 19 

- 25 

- 28 

- 35 

- 44 

- 4 s 

1 12 

- 



PONCE-GUAYAMA 



Stations. 


Miles. 


Approx. 
Time Taken. 






hr. min. 


Ponce 


— 


— 


Cafio Verde . 






i* 


5 


Porinna 






6* 


- 25 


Potalo 






8 


- 34 


Descalabrado 






13 


- 57 


Santa Isabel . 






ij* 


1 6 


Salinas 






20^ 


1 38 


Aguirre 






26* 


2 


Guayama 


37i 


2 37 



Cabs and motor-cars can be hired in San Juan, Ponce, 
and Mayagiiez. Cabs, $1.50 and $2.00 per hour; motor- 
cars, $5.00 per hour. A feature of the island is its fine 
system of macadamised roads, of which there are now 
fully 600 miles, the principal being the " Military Road " 
between San Juan and Ponce, which was constructed by 
the Spaniards over a century ago. 

There are several good garages in San Juan where motor- 
cars can be hired for the round-trip between San Juan and 
Ponce, the charge for which is $40.00. 

San Juan has a service of electric cars which also run 



4 o6 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

to the suburbs of Santurce and Rio Piedras. Ponce also 
has an electric car service. %*§gs 

SPORTS. Since American occupation base-ball has been 
played ; but opportunities for visitors with athletic tastes 
are fewer than in most other West Indian islands. Devotees 
of Terpsichore will find dancing popular. Masquerade 
balls are held every year during the Carnival at the muni- 
cipal theatres. 

SOCIAL CLUBS. The principal club in San Juan is 
the Spanish Club. There is also a Country Club near the 
Park and the Union Club pleasantly situated at a short 
distance out of the town. The Y.M.C.A. occupies a 
magnificent building in the outskirts of the town, and 
mention must also be made of the Casino of Porto Rico 
and the Ateneo de Puerto Rico (the Porto Rico Athenaeum) 
in the Plaza Principal. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. San Juan (population, 50,000), 
the old San Juan de Bautista de Puerto Rico, is situated 
on a promontory that is practically an island connected 
with the mainland by the bridge of San Antonio, which 
crosses a marshy lagoon. At the seaward extremity of 
this promontory, which encloses a magnificent and almost 
land-locked harbour, is the historic Mono Castle, which 
was erected between the years 1539 and 1584. San Juan 
was once strongly fortified, and it still forms a noble 
example of an old Spanish walled city ; and it is note- 
worthy that though the elaborate fortifications existing in 
1 898 were obsolete they suffered no material damage when 
they were bombarded by the modern guns of the United 
States fleet. 

Not far from the Morro is the ancient Castle of Ponce 
de Leon, the founder of the city. 

The city, which is clean and well cared for, has several 
spacious plazas, in the principal of which are the municipal 
buildings. In the Plaza Cristobal there is a well-executed 
statue of Columbus, who stands on a column grasping the 
banner of Ferdinand and Isabella, as he did on setting foot 
for the first time on the New World. The old Intendeneia is 
now used by the Government departments. 

The favourite excursion from San Juan is the drive by 



PORTO RICO 407 

the Military Road from San Juan to Ponce and from 
Cayey to Guayama, Ponce* which stands on a plain 
2 miles from the seaport of Playa, was founded in 1752. 
Mayagiiez, the third town in importance, stands on the 
west coast overlooking the Mona passage. 

Porto Rico has not yet been developed as a tourist resort 
to the same extent as Cuba ; but this American island has 
far greater natural beauty than Cuba can boast. Its roads 
are superb, and the example of the Spanish, and later the 
American, engineers might with advantage be followed 
elsewhere in the West Indies. 



CHAPTER XV 
HAITI AND SANTO DOMINGO 

The Black Republics 

GENERAL ASPECT. The highly fertile island of Haiti, 
or Hispaniola, is divided between the two independent 
Republics of Haiti, which occupies 9242 square miles at 
the western end, and Santo Domingo, with an area of 
20,596 square miles at the eastern end. The former has, 
according to the estimates of the priests, a population of 
1,600,000, and the latter 1,000,000. Next to Cuba, Haiti 
is the largest of the West Indian islands, its greatest 
length being 407 miles, its extreme breadth 160 miles, and 
its total area 29,838 square miles, or about the same as 
that of Ireland. It is one of the Greater Antilles and lies 
between Cuba and Porto Rico, being separated from Cuba 
by the Windward Passage, the width of which from Cape 
Maisi in Cuba to Mole St. Nicolas in Haiti is 130 miles, 
and from Porto Rico by the Mona Passage, 70 miles in 
width. In shape the island has been compared to a turtle, 
its eastern projection forming the head and the two western 
peninsulas the hinder limbs. The island is decidedly 
mountainous, but there are large and fertile plains between 
the several groups. There are three distinct ranges of 
mountains, all extending east and west. The scenery is 
grand beyond description, the mountains being covered 
by dense forests. The Dominican Republic may be roughly 
divided into two districts, one comprising the well-watered 
lands in the east and the other the very rich irrigated 
county in the west. 

Good roads are being made by degrees, and it is hoped 
that a railway will soon be constructed from the capital 
to Manzanillo Bay via Santiago and La Vega, thus affording 

408 



HAITI AND SANTO DOMINGO 



409 



unbroken railway communication between the capital and 
Manzanillo Bay, Puerto Plata and Sanchez. Other railways 
contemplated are from La Romano to Seybo and from 
Barahona to Lake Enriquillo. The existing railways, of 
which there are 175 miles in Haiti and 500 miles in Santo 
Domingo, are narrow-gauge and give very poor service. 

INDUSTRIES. In Haiti tobacco, coffee, cocoa, and 
sugar are cultivated, and the island is supposed to possess 
valuable deposits of coal, copper, and other minerals. 
Sugar is extensively cultivated in Santo Domingo, and 
tobacco, coffee, bananas, and cocoa are also exported, 
together with mahogany, lignum vitae, cedar, and satin- 
wood. No attempt has as yet been made to develop the 
deposits of iron, gold, copper, and salt which are known 
to exist. The island has much savannah country suitable 
for cattle, but very little use has so far been made of it. 
The trade of Haiti and Santo Domingo is mainly with the 
United States, which supply 60 per cent, of the total 
imports of both republics. 

The chief exports from Santo Domingo in 191 2 were 
valued as under : 



Sugar 


$5,841,000 


Cocoa 


4,249,000 


Tobacco 


670,000 


Coffee . 


566,000 


Hides 


235,000 



FINANCIAL POSITION. The revenue and expenditure, 
and imports and exports of Haiti, and Santo Domingo for 
the five years are given, as far as obtainable, in the following 
tables : 

HAITI 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 


1 906-7 . 
1 907-8 . 
1 908-9 . 
1909-10 . 
1910-11 . 


$ 
3.375.612 

2,760,888 
2,700,000 
3,280,000 


$ 

3.973. 8 99 
2,777.^7 
3,329,010 
3,280,000 


$ 

5,881,000 
6,100,000 
7.153.467 


$ 
2,870,000 
2,255,000 
3,480,000 
4,200,000 



410 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 
SANTO DOMINGO 



Year. 


Revenue. 


Expendi- 
ture. 


Imports. 


Exports. 


1908 
1909 
1910 
1911 
1912 


$ 
3,984,300 
4,520,120 
4,700,000 
4,860,000 
5,809,785 


3,990,000 
4,530,000 
4,650,000 
4,806,000 
5,845,994 


$ 
5,128,000 
4,426,000 
6,257,750 
6,949,662 
8,217,898 


$ 

9,490,000 

8,134,700 

10,850,000 

11,004,906 

12,385,245 



In 1907 a treaty with the United States was ratified, 
under which the latter country now collects the Customs 
duties and acts as an intermediary between the Dominican 
Republic and its foreign creditors. The debt on January 1, 
191 2, was $20,000,000. 

CLIMATE. The climate of Haiti and Santo Domingo 
is dry and extremely healthy, the thermometer rarely 
rising above 90 Fahr. The rainy seasons are in May and 
June and from July to September, in which month storms 
most frequently occur. The towns are reasonably clean. 
In Santo Domingo yellow fever is never heard of. The 
commonest form of fever is that known as " Paludismo," 
which resembles a very mild type of malaria. 

HISTORY. Columbus visited Haiti from Cuba, landing 
at Mole St. Nicolas on December 6, 1492. He found the 
island inhabited by 2,000,000 aborigines, who called the 
island Haiti, the " Mountainous Country,' 1 and Quisquica, 
the " Vast Country " ; but Columbus changed the name 
to Espagnola, or Little Spain, which was latinised to 
Hispaniola. Adventurers from Europe, attracted by the 
usual tales of gold, flocked to the island, and after thirty 
years the natives, whom they cruelly maltreated, were 
crushed out of existence. In 1505 negroes were first intro- 
duced into the island, and by royal edict, in the year 15 17, 
the importation of 4000 negroes a year was authorised. 
In 1630 a mixed colony of French and English, who were 
driven out of St. Kitts, and had established themselves 
at Tortuga, where they became formidable under the 
name of Buccaneers, settled in Haiti, and in 1697 the part 




Railways 
SCALE OF ENGLISH MILES 




Stan-ford's Geog'. Estab* London. 



HAITI AND SANTO DOMINGO 411 

of the island which they held was ceded by the Treaty of 
Ryswick to France. After 1722 jthe colony, which was 
called Saint Dominigue, flourished, and it continued to 
prosper until the French Revolution of 1789, when the 
free people of colour demanded that the principles of the 
Revolution should be extended to them. This was opposed 
by the whites, and the two classes were at enmity. 

In 1 791 a decree was passed giving mulattoes all the 
rights of French citizens, but in the same year the decree 
was reversed, and the mulattoes fought with the blacks 
against the whites in a war which began with an insurrec- 
tion of the slaves. In 1793 the abolition of slavery was 
proclaimed, and the English invaded the island. Tous- 
saint l'Ouverture, the leader of the blacks, helped the 
French, and was made Commander-in-Chief of the French 
army. The English were driven out in 1 798, and the French 
became masters of the whole island, which had been ceded 
to them by the Treaty of Basle three years previously. 
Toussaint in 1801 adopted a constitutional form of govern- 
ment, in which he was to be President for life ; but Bona- 
parte, then First Consul, determined to reduce the colony 
and restore slavery, sent out 25,000 troops under General 
Leclerc. The blacks retired to the mountains, but a 
desultory war was kept up until Leclerc cajoled the native 
chiefs into a suspension of hostilities, and, having invited 
Toussaint to an interview, seized him and sent him to 
France, where he died in prison in 1803. The blacks were 
infuriated, and renewed the struggle under General Des- 
salines. In 1803, on the approach of an English fleet, the 
French agreed to evacuate the island, and in 1804 in- 
dependence was declared, and the aboriginal name of 
Haiti revived. Dessalines was made Governor for life, 
but later in the year he proclaimed himself Emperor. He 
was assassinated in 1806, and two rival chiefs, Cristophe 
and Petion, established themselves in the north and south 
respectively ; while the Spaniards retook the eastern part 
Of the island, which they called Santo Domingo. Petion 
died in 181 8, and, Cristophe having committed suicide in 
1820, General Boyer became master of the whole of the 
western end of the island, and in 1822, taking advantage 



412 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

of dissensions in the Spanish part, he invaded it and 
captured the whole of it. The entire island was then called 
Haiti, but in 1843 he was driven out by a revolution, and 
in 1844 the people in the eastern end established the 
Dominican Republic, and from that date the two political 
divisions have been maintained. 

CONSTITUTION. The Government of Haiti is ad- 
ministered by a President and two Chambers, the members 
of which hold office according to a constitution which dates 
from 1889. In the case of Santo Domingo, the Government 
is in the hands of a National Congress of twenty-four 
deputies, a President with executive power, elected by an 
electoral college, and an Administrative Ministry, appointed 
by the President. Haiti has an army of 7000 men and 
three gunboats, and Santo Domingo has also a small army 
and a few gunboats. 

HOTELS. The hotel accommodation both in Haiti and 
Santo Domingo is extremely poor even in the larger towns, 
and visitors to the smaller towns must be prepared to rough 
it considerably. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Haiti is served by the 
steamship companies numbered 10, 11 and 15, and Santo 
Domingo by those numbered 10, 15, and 16 in the list on 
pages 14 to 27. 

In Haiti there are a few short lines of railway in operation 



Stations. 


Miles. 


Approx. 






Time Taken. 






hr. min. 


Puerto Plata 


— 


_ — 


La Sabana 






5 


55 


Barrabas 






8 


1 25 


Bajabonico . 






11 


1 45 


Altamira 






18 


2 42 


La Cumbre . 






22 


3 5 


Navarrete 






29 


4 22 


Las Lagunas 






34 


4 50 


Santiago , 






42 


5 30 


Pena . . 






5o 


6 35 


San Victor f . 






55 


7 12 


Moca' ...',.. 






60 


7 55 



HAITI AND SANTO DOMINGO 



413 



and a more elaborate railway system connecting the chief 
business centres is in course of construction. The public 
railroads in Santo Domingo are (1) the Central Dominican 
(belonging to the Government) between Puerto Plata and 
Moca, and (2) the Samana and Santiago (a British Company) 
between Sanchez (on the Bay of Samana) and La Vega, with 
branches to San Francisco de Macoris and Salcedo. From 
the latter station an extension is (1914) being made to 
Moca where the two railroads will join. A list of the 
principal stations on the Central Dominican Railroad is 
given on the opposite page. 

The chief stations on the Samana and Santiago Railroad 
are as under : 



Stations. 


Miles from 
Sanchez. 


Time Taken. 


Sanchez 

Almacen (Villa Riva) 

La Ceiba 

Barbero (Pimentel) 

Baird (La Jina) 

Macoris (San Francisco) 

Las Cabullas . 

La Vega 

La Jagua 

Salcedo 

Moca .... 




21 

28 
33 
45 
52 
55 
62 
61 
66 
73 


hr. min. 

1 25 

1 55 

2 30 

3 15 

3 45 

4 45 

5 10 

6 13 
6 30 



On both lines the trains also stop at a number of smaller 
stations on signal. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. The absence of roads and hotel 
accommodation makes travelling in Haiti difficult. No 
whites live anywhere except in the seaside towns, and 
the interior is still to a great extent unexplored. Beyond 
the beauties of nature there is little to attract visitors, 
though the ruins of the old Palace at Milo, near Cape 
Haitien, and the citadel above, both built for President 
Cristophe, are well worth seeing. 

The capital of Santo Domingo is the city of the same 



4 i4 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

name (population 22,000) which is situated on the sou 
coast. 

The town contains many buildings and ruins of historical 
interest, most of them being associated with the family of 
Columbus. In the Cathedral, which was completed in 1540, 
the ornate tomb of Columbus is an object of interest. 
It contains what are believed to be the genuine bones of 
the great discoverer, which lie in a battered leaden casket 
roughly inscribed with his name and titles. They were 
found about thirty years ago, while some repairs were being 
executed, in the spot indicated in the archives as the burial- 
place of Columbus and next to the vault from which 
the supposed bones of the discoverer were exhumed. 
Columbus died at Valladolid on May 20, 1506, and was 
buried there. In 1542, however, his remains were exhumed 
and, in accordance with a wish which he had expressed 
before his death, they were taken to Santo Domingo and 
placed in a vault in the cathedral. In 1795, when the 
island was ceded to France, remains believed to be those 
of Columbus were removed to Havana, and in 1899, after 
the Spanish- American War, these were transferred to Seville 
and buried with great pomp in a stately tomb in the 
Cathedral there. It now appears to be generally believed 
that the remains in Spain are those of some other member 
of the Columbus family, and that the true bones of the 
great discoverer lie in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. 

Other towns of consequence are Santiago (population 
12,000), San Pedro de Mncoris (8000), and Puerta Plata 
(8000). The chief districts of cultivation are at present 
the " Cibao " district, which extends from Santiago to 
Sanchez and offers a suitable soil for the cultivation of 
cacao, coffee and tobacco, and the sugar-lands along the 
South coast between Santo Domingo and La Romana. 

The principal physical features which appeal to visitors 
are the salt Lake Enriquillo, whose surface is about 100 feet 
below sea-level, Monte Tina (over 10,000 feet high), the 
Constanza Valley, the Falls at Jarabacoa, and Samana 
Bay. Interesting Indian remains are to be found, especially 
near San Juan in the West and Higuey in the East. 



CHAPTER XVI 
THE SPANISH MAIN 

South America's Historic Northern Littoral 

GENERAL ASPECT. The Spanish Main is the name 
given in the days of the buccaneers to the north-east coast 
of South America between the delta of the Orinoco and the 
Isthmus of Panama. Once a Spanish possession, it is now 
shared by the republics of Venezuela, Colombia and 
Panama. 

The countries, generally speaking, are mountainous, while 
the front lands are sandy. Next to the Orinoco, the chief 
river is the Magdalena, which empties itself by a wide delta 
to the west of Savanilla. The principal ports are La 
Guaira and Puerto Cabello in Venezuela, both of which are 
connected with Caracas, the capital of that country, by 
railway, and Santa Marta, Savanilla and Cartagena in 
Colombia. The mail steamers call at one or more of these 
ports in the course of the voyage between Trinidad and 
Colon ; but passengers desirous of going ashore at any of 
them as well as at Colon are advised to visit them after 
the latter place, for the Isthmian Canal authorities subject 
arrivals from Venezuelan and Colombian ports to rigid 
quarantine. The mail steamer coasts along the Spanish 
Main, taking eight days on the voyage from Colon to 
Trinidad. 

HISTORY. The Spanish Main was discovered by 
Columbus, who crossed over to what is now Venezuela, after 
setting foot on Trinidad for the first time, in 1498. Alonso 
de Ojeda coasted along it in the following year and, having 
obtained a grant of the district from Cape Vela to the Gulf 
of Darien in 1508, founded the colony of Nueva Andalucia 

415 



416 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

there. Some years later Diego de Nicuesa established the 
settlement of Castilla del Oro farther to the west, and in 
1 5 14 the two colonies were united under the name of 
Tierra Firme. Meanwhile Vasco Nunez de Balboa had, in 
1 5 13, discovered the Pacific, an event which proved the 
beginning of a period of immense prosperity for the country. 
Gold and silver were transported across the Isthmus of 
Panama and the Spanish galleons gathered in the harbours 
of Porto Bello and Cartagena, whence they carried the 
treasure of the New World to Cadiz. For years Spain 
monopolised the trade in spite of the constant raids by the 
buccaneers and pirates. 

In 1564 the country was formed into a Spanish Presi- 
dency called New Granada, and in 17 18 it was raised to the 
position of a Viceroyalty ; only to be reduced to a Presidency 
again in the following year. The Viceroyalty was revived 
in 1740 and extended to include Venezuela, a Spanish 
settlement at the eastern end of the Main which was making 
rapid growth. The attacks against the supremacy of Spain 
now became more frequent. In 1572 Sir Francis Drake, 
who had been furnished with letters of marque by Queen 
Elizabeth, raided Nombre de Dios, a strongly fortified town 
of great wealth and consequence, and in 1585 he captured 
Cartagena and exacted a ransom of 1 10,000 ducats from the 
inhabitants. In 1679 the town was again raided by de 
Ponti, a Frenchman, assisted by the buccaneers, and in 
1740 it was attacked unsuccessfully by Admiral Vernon, 
who in the previous year had justified his boast that he 
could capture Porto Bello with six ships only. 

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Spain's power 
began to wane, and in 1 8 1 1 the struggle for independence 
began under the leadership of Simon Bolivar, the Liberator. 
In 181 1 Venezuela declared her independence, and from 
that year until 1824 there was constant war between the 
colonics on the Main and their mother country. In 18 19 
Bolivar effected the union of Venezuela, Colombia and 
Ecuador under the title of the Republic of Colombia, whose 
independence was recognised in 1825. The yoke of Spain 
having thus been removed, a long series of civil wars and 
dissensions commenced. In 1829 Venezuela seceded from 



THE SPANISH MAIN 417 

Colombia. Bolivar died in 1830, and in the year after his 
death the Republic of New Granada was founded. In 1843 
the provinces of Cartagena, Veragua and Panama withdrew 
from the federation, but they were brought back within 
twelve months. In 1861 the Republic of Colombia was 
re-established. 

HOTELS. Barranquilla. Pension Inglesa, Calle de 
San Bias, board and lodging $3 (125. 6d.) per day and 
upwards. Table d'hote lunch or dinner 80 cents (3s. 4^.). 
Caracas. Grand Hotel Klindt, Gran Hotel and Hotel Saint 
Armand, luncheon or dinner, 4 bolivars (3s. 2d.). Carta- 
gena. Walter's Hotel, Calle de San Augustin, and Mariani's 
Hotel, Calle de Cuartel. Board and lodging $2.50 (105. $d.) 
per day. Table d'hote lunch or dinner $1 (4s. 2d.). Puerto 
Cabello. Hotel de los Banos. Meals at moderate prices. 
At Puerto Colombia there are no hotels or accommodation 
of any kind. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. The steamers of the com- 
panies numbered 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 11, 15, 20 and 21 on pages 14 
to 27 visit the principal ports on the Spanish Main. Barran- 
quilla can be reached by railway from Savanilla or by railway 
and steamer from Santa Marta {see next page) . Carriages 
80 cents (3s. 4d.) per hour for two persons and $1.20 (5s.) 
for three. Caracas. Carriages de luxe can be hired 
on Sundays and fete days, when they are in great request, 
from 4.30 to 7 p.m. for 32 bolivars (£1 5s. 4^.) with American 
horses, and bs. 26 (£1 05. yd.) with native horses; per 
hour bs. 10 {js. nd.) American; bs. 8 (6s. 4^.) native. 
On week-days the tariff is bs. 8 (6s. 4^.) American ; bs. 6 
(4s. gd.) native. Numbered cabs, bs. 1 .50 (is. 2d.) per course, 
bs. 2 (is. yd.) between 10 and 1 p.m. and bs. 4 (3s. 2d.) 
between 1 p.m. and 6 a.m. Motor-cars can be hired for bs. 1 2 
(9s. 6d.) per hour on weekdays and bs. 16 {12s. Sd.) per 
hour on Sundays. Cartagena. Steamers go alongside 
a wharf on Drake's Spit, from which the city is reached 
by a light railway. Fare 5 cents (2\d) . Carriages 80 cents, 
(3s. 4d.) per hour for one or two persons, $1 (4s. 2d.) for 
three, and $1.20 (5s.) for four. The city is connected 
with Calamar on the Magdalena river (36 miles) by the 
Cartagena (Colombia) Railway, Fare, $2.50, La Guaira. 



4i 



8 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 



Landing charge from steamers to the wharf 42 cents (is.gd.). 
The port is connected with Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, 
by the line of the La Guaira and Caracas Railway Company 
Limited (23 miles). A list of stations on the line and their 
height and distance from La Guaira is given below. The 
fares are : first-class single, bs. 7 ; return, bs. 10.50 ; 
second class single, bs. 5 ; return, bs. 7.50. 



Stations. 


Miles. 


Height 
in feet. 


Time 
Taken. 








Hours. 


La Guaira . 


0.00 


6 


— 


Maiquetia 








1.30 


5o 


0.08 


El Rincon . 








2.46 


300 


0.15 


Curucuti 








6.97 


1078 


0.40 


Zig-Zag 








9.89 


1533 


1. 00 


Boqueron 








11.80 


1955 


1. 10 


Pena de Mora 








14.00 


2295 


1.27 


Cantinas 








18.00 


2903 


1.46 


Caracas 






23.00 


2984 


2.08 



Puerto Colombia. The pier is owned by the Barran- 
quilla Railway and Pier Company Limited, whose line goes 
to Barranquilla (17 miles, about 40 minutes each way). 

Santa Marta is connected with the interior of Colombia 
by means of the Santa Marta Railway to Cienaga Grande 
(24 miles), whence passengers and mails are conveyed 
by a small river steamboat every sixth day to Barranquilla. 
Fare, $3.80. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Some five or six hours after 
leaving Colon, steamers coasting along the Spanish Main 
pass the site of Nombre de Dios and Porto Bello. It was 
off Nombre de Dios that the remains of the redoubtable 
Drake were committed to the deep in 1 595. The final expe- 
dition of the great Elizabethan seafarer proved unfortunate 
from the start. His kinsman and trusted friend Sir John 
Hawkins, who accompanied him, died off Porto Rico. 
Nombre de Dios was found to be deserted, and an attempted 
march on Panama failed. Eventually Drake succumbed to 
an attack of dysentery on board his ship the Defiance off 
Porto Bello, January 28, 1595-6. Next day his body, 



THE SPANISH MAIN 4 i 9 

enclosed in a leaden coffin, was consigned to the waters of 
the Caribbean. As an anonymous poem quoted by Prince 
in " Worthies of Devon " says : 

The waves became his winding-sheet ; the waters were his tomb ; 
But for his fame, the ocean sea was not sufficient room. 

Porto Bello was peopled with the inhabitants of Nombre 
de Dios in 1584, when that city was virtually abandoned 
after being repeatedly raided by the Indians. As the 
Atlantic entrepot of the trade of Peru it attained to a 
position of great wealth and affluence, and was very 
strongly fortified. Owing to the excessive cost of living at 
Porto Bello, the Spanish galleons used to lie in the harbour 
of Cartagena until the news reached them of the arrival of 
the treasure ships from Peru at Panama. Then they would 
drop down to Porto Bello to await the mules which arrived 
in trains of about a hundred each, loaded with gold and 
silver. To receive this treasure a large tent made of sails 
was erected in the principal square by the sailors, and fairs, 
of what in those days was considered great magnificence, 
were held periodically. Porto Bello was sacked by Drake in 
1 572, by Morgan in 1668, and by John Spring in 1680. The 
place was also captured by Admiral Vernon, who justified 
his boast that he could take it with six ships, in 1739. The 
victory was followed by great rejoicings in England, which 
are recalled by the names Portobello road and junction, 
and by numerous public-houses dedicated to Admiral 
Vernon. 

A large rock quarry at Porto Bello supplied the stone 
used for the Colon breakwater and in the construction of 
the locks and dam at Gatun on the Panama Canal. 

Long before Cartagena itself is seen, an almost isolated 
hill which dominates it comes into sight. This is the 
historic Popa — so called from the resemblance of its shape 
to that of the poop (popa) of a ship — to which in the old 
days sailors made obeisance when they first " picked it up." 
As the steamer draws nearer, the buildings of the old 
Augustinian monastery, Nuestra Senora de la Popa, which 
are perched on the summit, can be distinguished. 

Cartagena, which was founded by Pedro de Heredia in 



420 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

1533, stands at the foot of this hill on a sandy peninsular 
connected with the continent by a narrow neck of land. 
From the distance the white houses of the city appear to 
rise out of the sea, just as the palaces and towers of Venice 
seem to do as one approaches the Italian city from Mestre 
across the lagoon. At first sight Cartagena looks as if it 
had been placed in a singularly exposed position ; but it 
must be remembered that in the days of its greatness there 
were no long-distance guns. Besides, nature has protected 
it by reefs and the formidable Salmedina sandbank, which 
has taken its full toll of shipping and compels vessels on 
the western voyage to approach the city by a circuitous 
channel along and round the islands which help to form its 
secure harbour. 

The harbour was once gained by two bocas or mouths, 
the Boca Grande (the Big Mouth), quite near the town, and 
the Boca Chica (the Narrow Mouth), many miles farther 
south ; but after an attack by Admiral Vernon in 1740 the 
Spaniards closed the Boca Grande by sinking old ships in 
the fairway. Round these sand has collected, thus effectively 
blocking the entrance. Now, therefore, only the Boca Chica 
is available for navigation. As we enter the harbour by 
this narrow strait, scarcely a pistol shot across, we pass 
Fort San Jose on the right, and on the left the once for- 
midable but now derelict Fort San Fernando on Tierra 
Bomba Island. After negotiating the entrance, the 
steamer makes her way for some six or seven miles along a 
tortuous passage past the mangrove-covered shores of 
Tierra Bomba, and is warped alongside a wharf on the 
historic Drake's Spit. It was along this neck of land that 
Sir Francis Drake and his troops marched when they 
attacked Cartagena in 1585. At that time it was defended 
by a ditch and a stone wall with a single opening for the 
cavalry to pass through, which was protected with a 
barricade of wine butts standing one upon another. The 
road, too, was commanded by six pieces of ordnance, demi- 
culverins and sakers, and was flanked by two great galleons 
with their bows towards the shore mounting eleven guns. 
Under cover of the dark, the Englishmen crept silently 
along the seashore, and on reaching the wall they formed 



THE SPANISH MAIN 42 1 

up with " pikes roundly together " and rushed the opening 
at daybreak. The butts were overthrown, and the English- 
men, favoured by having better armour and longer pikes, 
drove back their adversaries to the market-place and 
captured the town. 

Visitors are recommended to take the light railway which 
now runs along this spit of land to the terminus just outside 
the massive city walls. At the far side of the open space 
outside the main gateway is the terminus of the Cartagena 
(Colombia) Railway Company Ltd., whose line runs to 
Calamar, a port on the Magdalena River (fare $2.50). 
Cartagena itself was once called by the Indians Calamari 
or the land of the craw-fish, owing to the abundance 
of those crustaceans found there. Immediately opposite 
the gateway is a Plaza decorated with busts of the heroes of 
the revolution. 

On entering the city the visitor finds himself in a town of 
old Spain set down in the tropics. All the houses — most of 
which are well and solidly built — have balconies, while the 
lower windows are barred in the characteristic Spanish 
fashion and all have their cool-looking patios. If he 
would avoid being importuned by small boys eager to 
act as his guide, the visitor is recommended to proceed 
immediately to Walter's Hotel, where he can obtain advice 
as to how best to fill in the time at his disposal. 

A feature of interest is the quaint memorial of the 
centenary of the liberation of the country, which consists 
of a tall shaft at the base of which are numerous cannons 
peeping from circular orifices in the concrete base. 

The Cable Office is in the Plaza Cristobal Colon. The 
Market in the Paseo de la Independenza is open from 
4 a.m. to 5 p.m. Among the churches which can be visited 
are the Cathedral and San Pedro Claver. Both are in 
a sad state of disrepair ; but it is possible to gauge from the 
fabric how handsome these churches must have been. 

The House of the Inquisition near the principal square 
is now the residence of a merchant who courteously permits 
visitors to inspect it. Cartagena was one of the head- 
quarters of the Inquisition in the New World, the others 
being at Lima and in Mexico. It is said that the cruel 



422 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

apparatus of torture is buried in the patio, where several 
tall and graceful palms now grow which it would be a pity 
to displace. In one room an old and worn railing is pointed 
out, behind which the victims are said to have stood when 
they received their sentence ; from there they were 
removed to a windowless chamber beyond, where the 
punishment known as auto-da-fe was inflicted. 

The following drive is recommended ; To the Fortress of 
San Felipe, and the foot of La Popa Hill, across the bridge 
to Manga Island, through Calle Central and Calle Royal, 
across the Roman Bridge, through Calle Aguada and Calle 
Larga, and to the market and Independence Square. 

A drive to the Muralla de las Bovedas, the substantially 
built wall beyond the city, reveals the elaborate nature of 
the fortifications which defended the city. 

A walk to the summit of La Popa is an arduous under- 
taking, and most visitors will be content with a drive to the 
Fortress of San Felipe at its foot. The drive can be 
continued to Manga Island. At the same time it should 
be mentioned that the view from the summit is, to quote 
Flumboldt, " very extensive and varied, and the windings 
and rents of the coast give it a peculiar character." '■ I 
was assured," he adds, " that sometimes from the window 
of the convent, and even in the open sea, before the Fort 
of Boca Chica, the snowy tops of the Sierra Nevada de 
Santa Marta are discernible." The writer can testify 
that Humboldt was well informed as far as the view of the 
Sierra Nevada from the open sea is concerned, for he has 
seen it himself, and will not easily forget the surprise which 
this noble range of snow mountains with their mighty 
glaciers caused to him and his fellow passengers on a 
voyage along the Spanish Main a few years ago. Horqueta, 
the highest peak, is 1 7,600 feet. Still dealing with the Popa, 
Humboldt in his personal Narrative of Travels writes : 

A gloomy vegetation of cactus, Jatropha gossypifolia, croton 
and mimosa, covers the barren declivity of Cerro de la Popa. In 
herbalising in those wild spots, our guides showed us a thick 
bush of Acacia cornigera, which had become celebrated by a 
deplorable event. Of all the species of mimosa the acacia is that 
which is armed with the sharpest thorns ; they are sometimes 



THE SPANISH MAIN 423 

two inches long ; and being hollow, serve for the habitation 
of ants of an extraordinary size. A woman, annoyed by the 
jealousy and well-founded reproaches of her husband, conceived 
a project of the most barbarous vengeance. With the assistance 
of her lover she bound her husband with cords, and threw him, 
at night, into a bush of Mimosa cornigera. The more violently 
he struggled, the more the sharp woody thorns of the tree tore 
his skin. His cries were heard by persons who were passing, 
and he was found after several hours of suffering, covered with 
blood and dreadfully stung by the ants. 

From Cartagena the mail steamers proceed to Puerto 
Colombia, taking about^seven hours for the voyage. Puerto 
Colombia or Sa vanilla/ which lies at the head of a large 
bay, has little to commend it to visitors. It is simply a 
collection of squalid huts and shanties huddled together on 
a sandy shore. The only feature of interest is the great 
steel railway pier of the Barranquilla Railway and Pier 
Company Limited, which is no less than 4000 feet long and 
can accommodate five large steamers at the same time. 

Trains run along this pier to Barranquilla, a distance 
of 17 miles, at fairly frequent intervals. The expedition 
to this city would be well worth making if it were only to 
avoid the tedium of lying for any length of time off such a 
desolate spot as Savanilla — though for fishermen the pier 
has its charms; but the visitor who does not wish to be 
marooned should make full inquiries of the purser as to the 
time available, &c. The journey takes about 40 minutes. 
Various villages are passed en route ; but the country is, 
generally speaking, flat and uninteresting. 

Barranquilla is a busy city of some 70,000 inhabitants, 
on the left bank of the Magdalena River, from the mouth 
of which it is distant about 7 miles. It owes its importance 
to the fact that in consequence of the difficulty of navigating 
the delta of the Magdalena it is the northern terminus of 
river traffic with the interior of Colombia. It now boasts 
two flour mills, three weaving factories, a brewery, a cotton 
factory and an ice factory. In the population there is a large 
proportion of white inhabitants. They are descended from 
the old Spanish colonists, who brought the manners and 
customs of their country with them. Their costumes, their 
quaint old houses with their balconies, patios and brightly 



424 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

painted window shutters, vividly recall sunny Spain. The 
city has a handsome cathedral, in front of which is a small 
but attractive garden square. In the principal thoroughfare 
there is a statue of Columbus; to whom Colombia owes its 
name. A visit should be paid to the market and the 
wharves on the riverside, between which and the upper 
reaches of the Magdalena steam-wheel steamers like those 
on the Mississippi ply. 

One hundred and eighteen miles to the north-east of 
Savanilla is the prosperous little city of Santa Marta (popu- 
lation 6000) . The West Indian mail steamers do not call 
there ; but the port is frequently visited by the vessels of 
Messrs. Elders and Fyffes and the United Fruit Company, 
who own extensive banana plantations in the neighbourhood. 
The city stands on the shore of a small land-locked ba}^ at 
the entrance to which is a high, conical rock called the Morro, 
surmounted by some ancient fortifications and a lighthouse. 
This quaint old Spanish town is one of the earliest settle- 
ments on the continent of South America, and the 
foundations of what are claimed to be the first Christian 
church to be erected in the Western hemisphere are pointed 
out to the visitor. 

Founded by Rodrigo Bastidas about the year 1520, 
Santa Marta was sacked by the pirate Robert Baal in 1543, 
and again in 1555 by the French buccaneer Pedro Brasques. 
In 1 576 it was burned to the ground by Coropomeina, chief of 
the Tupes Indians of Valledupar. Sir Francis Drake 
captured it in 1596, and in 1629 the Dutch freebooter 
Pater landed and carried off the artillery of the Castle 
of San Juan, and the treasure of the church. In 1655 
the city was again sacked by William Ganson, and finally 
it was looted by buccaneers, an Englishman and a French- 
man, who carried off the Bishop and landed him on the 
coast of Panama. Charles Kingsley refers to this incident 
in "Westward Ho!" in which he describes with sur- 
prising accuracy — considering that he never saw it — 
the beautiful bay of Santa Marta, and the exciting episode 
of the capture of the rich galleon " Santa Maria," and the 
carrying off of the Bishop by Amyas Leigh and his com- 
panions. About 4 miles from the city, on the " San Pedro 



TH£ SPANISH MAIN 425 

Alejandrino " estate, a marble statue has been erected 
to mark the spot where Simon Bolivar, the Liberator, 
died alone and in poverty, in 1830. The interesting 
Indian villages of Mamatoco and Bonda are within an easy 
morning's ride, and a trip can be made to one of the coffee 
plantations in the vicinity. This involves from 4 to 6 
hours' riding on mules or hardy ponies, over more or less 
difficult bridle roads, but the magnificent views well repay 
the discomfort. An excursion can be made by the railway 
through the extensive banana plantations of the United 
Fruit Company to Rio Frio. This can be arranged at any 
time when there are sufficient passengers to warrant 
running a special train. 

From Savanilla the mail steamers proceed at present 
direct to Trinidad. From there one of the intercolonial 
steamers proceeds fortnightly to La Guaira and back, 
calling en route at Pampatar, the principal port of the small 
Venezuelan island of Margarita, and Carupano. Margarita, 
once famed for its pearl fisheries, was granted to Marceto 
Villalobas by Charles V of Spain in 1 524. Its merchants and 
sailors took a prominent part in the War of Independence, 
and it now belongs to Venezuela, forming with the neigh- 
bouring islets of Tortuga, Cubagua and Coche, a division of 
the Eastern Federal District. The area of the island, which 
is mountainous and almost divided into two parts by the 
Laguna Grande, is 400 square miles, and though the soil is 
fertile the only industries are fishing and salt-making. 
Pampatar was raided by the Dutch in 1662. 

Carupano (population 9250) is situated on the coast at 
the opening of two valleys in the Venezuelan State of 
Bermudez. It is a port of shipment for cocoa, coffee, sugar, 
rum and timber, much of which is transhipped at Port of 
Spain, Trinidad. 

Puerto Cabello (population 14,000), a port of entry of 
Venezuela, lies at the head of a great bay protected 
by forts on the hillside. The place affords a marked 
contrast to Savanilla, having ample wharf accommodation. 
The railway, which is connected with the wharves, runs to 
Valencia (2 J hours), where connection is made with the 
railway to Caracas. The appearance of the city from the 



426 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

sea is quite picturesque, a notable feature being the oriental- 
looking hotel and bathing establishment, and neat little 
plaza with its tall palm trees. The sights of the place 
are not many. They include, of course, a monument to 
commemorate the liberation from Spain, and a theatre. 

La Guaira, the chief port of Caracas, the capital of 
Venezuela, stands in a romantic position on a deep indenta- 
tion of the coast and at the foot of precipitous mountains. 
The harbour, which is formed by a concrete breakwater, 
encloses an area of about 76 acres. The town, which was 
founded in 1588, was destroyed by earthquake on March 26, 
1 8 12, and was the scene of much fighting during the War 
of Independence. 

Though Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, is only 6\ miles 
south of La Guaira, the distance by rail is 23 miles. The 
city stands at the western extremity of an elevated valley 
at a height of from 2887 to 3442 feet above the sea-level. 

Caracas was founded in 1567 by Diego de Losada, under 
the title Santiago de Leon de Caracas. Like La Guaira it 
was destroyed by earthquake in 18 12, and it is now a 
handsome city with many public squares and gardens 
bright with tropical palms and flowers. The principal 
square is the Plaza de Bolivar, in the centre of which there 
is a bronze equestrian statue of Simon Bolivar the Liberator, 
who was born in Caracas. Round the square are grouped 
the Cathedral and Archbishop's Palace, the National 
Library, General Post OlSce, &c. 

The public buildings which may be visited include the 
Palacio Federal, the Concejo Municipal, the Fine Arts 
Academy — which has a fair collection of pictures — the 
Panteon Nacional, and the Museo Boliviano. Particulars 
regarding the hours of opening, &c, can be obtained at the 
hotels. Caracas has three theatres : the Opera House, the 
Nacional and the Caracas, and there is a Bull Ring where 
bull-fighting can be witnessed on Sundays (admission from 
bs. 2 [is. yd.] ). 



CHAPTER XVII 

THE PANAMA CANAL, COLON, AND 
PANAMA 

" The land divided. The world united" 

Motto of the Isthmian Canal Commission 

GENERAL ASPECT. No visitor to the West Indies should 
miss the opportunity of inspecting the Panama Canal, 
which now links the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. 
It is a marvel of ingenuity, perseverance, and organisation. 

The canal, which, when in full working order will, to 
quote Captain Mahan, change the Caribbean Sea " from a 
terminus and place of local traffic, or at the best a broken 
and imperfect line of travel as it is now, into one of the 
great highways of the world," has been constructed in what 
used to be the Province of Panama in the Republic of 
Colombia, but is now the Republic of Panama. In the 
centre of that Republic there is a strip of territory ten miles 
wide and about 436 acres in extent, which is leased in 
perpetuity to the United States. This is known as the 
Canal Zone, and over it the United States have absolute 
control. Included in the Zone are the islands in the Bay 
of Panama called Perico, Naos, Culebra, and Flamenco. 
Colon, the northern, and Panama, the southern or Pacific 
terminal of the canal, are nominally outside the Zone, but 
the United States is supreme in the all-important matter of 
sanitation, and has the right to maintain order in the event 
of the Republic of Panama being unable to do so. 

The French contemplated making a sea-level canal ; the 
Americans, on the other hand, decided in favour of a high- 
level one involving locks at either end. So the Chagres River 
has been dammed at Gatun and vessels will be raised 

427 



428 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

through a series of three locks, and will traverse a great lake 
thus formed for a distance of 24 miles until the backbone 
oi the Isthmus is reached at Bas Obispo. Here they will 
pass through an immense cutting — the famous Culebra 
cut, and on emerging they will descend to the Pacific by 
three locks, one at Pedro Miguel and two at Miraflores. 
So many people imagine that the Canal runs east and 
west, that it may not be amiss to state that this is not the 
case. From Colon it runs due south as far as Gatun, and 
thence in a south-westerly direction. Not a little surprise 
is experienced by some visitors to Panama, when they see 
the sun rise from the Pacific Ocean. The total length of 
the Canal from deep water in the Atlantic to deep water in 
the Pacific is 50 J miles, or from coast to coast 41 miles. Below 
is a comparison between the Panama and Suez Canals : 





Panama 


Suez 


Length (miles) 


5o* 


104 


Depth (feet) . 


41 


33* 


Least bottom width (feet) 


300 


ioof 


Excavation (cubic yards) 


232,000,000 


80,000,000 1 


Cost (dollars) 


375,000,000 


127,000,000 




(estimate ) 


(to date) 



* Being increased to 36. f Being increased to 137. 

X Original canal 25 feet deep. 

HISTORY. It is believed that the Isthmus of Panama 
was first visited in 1499 by Alonso de Ojeda, who established 
a colony, which he called Nueva Andalucia, near Cartagena. 
Two years later Rodrigo Bastidas coasted along the Spanish 
Main as far as what is now Porto Bello, and in 1502 
Columbus, coasting from Almirante Bay, founded the colony 
of Nombre de Dios in Porto Bello Bay. The settlement 
was destroyed by Indians, but re-established in 15 10 by 
Diego de Nicuesa, Governor of the Spanish Province of 
Castilla del Oro, which included the countries which are 
now Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. In the same year 
Martin Fernandez de Enciso, with the survivors of Nueva 
Andalucia, founded the colony of Darien. After an insur- 
rection he was succeeded in command by Vasco Nunez de 
Balboa, who had accompanied Bastidas on his voyage in 
1 501. In 15 13 Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and 










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PANAMA CANAL, COLON, AND PANAMA 429 

discovered the Pacific Ocean. He was succeeded by Pedro 
Arias de Avila who, in 1514, amalgamated the several 
colonies under the name of Tierra Firme, and five years 
later founded Panama City. When the wealth of the 
newly discovered countries on the Pacific began to be 
developed, the route across the Isthmus became immense^ 
important, and much treasure was transported over the 
Gold Road, as it was called, on mules. 

Panama was included in the Viceroyalty of New Granada, 
which was established in 17 18, and in 18 19 it became part 
of the independent nation of Gran Colombia, and in 1831 
of that of New Granada. In 1841 the provinces of Panama 
and Veragua seceded and formed themselves into the State 
of Panama, but they rejoined later. In 1857 Panama 
again withdrew, but soon returned to the Granadine 
Confederation, which in 1861 became the Republic of 
Colombia. The subsequent history of the country is 
closely wrapped up with that of the Panama Canal. 

The idea of piercing the Isthmus is not by any means 
one of recent birth. It was talked of even in the days 
of Spain's greatness, when she was anxious to find a short 
trade route to the East Indies, though she subsequently 
found that the Isthmus helped her to protect her possessions 
in Peru. Porto Bello and Panama were strongly fortified, 
and treasure was, as we have seen, carried across the 
Isthmus — a hazardous journey — to be shipped to Spain. 

It was not until the nineteenth century, when the United 
States began to feel the need for communication between 
their eastern and western seaboards, that the question of 
a canal came within the region of practical politics. Some 
favoured a Nicaraguan Canal. The Atlantic terminal of 
this would have been in a country over which Great 
Britain had long exercised control, and in 1850 the famous 
Bulwer-Clayton Treaty was signed by Great Britain and 
the United States, which provided that neither Government 
should ever obtain or maintain for itself any exclusive con- 
trol of any canal connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific, or 
erect fortifications protecting it. 

The rush of gold-seekers to California in 1849 led to the 
construction by W, H. Aspinwall, H. Chauncey, and 



430 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

J. L. Stevens of the railway across the Isthmus of Panama. 

Stevens secured a concession from the Government of New 

Granada in 1850, and five years later the first train crossed 

from ocean to ocean. Various canal schemes were now 

discussed, but it was not until the completion of the Suez 

Canal that they assumed definite shape. Then it was that 

Ferdinand de Lesseps came on the scene. He summoned a 

Congress in Paris in 1879, and two years later the Compagnie 

Universelle du Canal Interoceanique de Panama was floated. 

The railway was purchased for $25,500,000, and work was 

begun in 1 88 1 on a sea-level canal. An immense quantity 

of valuable machinery was -sent out, and the French 

engineers set about their task with the wonderful skill and 

perseverance to which their successors have since borne 

testimony. Owing, however, to the magnitude of the task 

and to peculation and fraud, the company was unable to 

stand the strain, and after spending $300,000,000 it went 

into liquidation in 1889. The New Panama Company was 

formed to take over the assets, including the railway, 

which they continued to work ; they also proceeded with 

the excavation to some extent. The war with Spain in 

1898 gave the United States a further object-lesson of the 

need for a canal, one of their vessels, the Oregon, having to 

make a perilous voyage of 13,000 miles from the Pacific 

to the Atlantic, where the main fleet lay. A Commission 

was appointed to consider what would be the best route 

for a canal " under the control, management, and ownership 

of the United States." They favoured a Nicaraguan Canal, 

considering that the price demanded by the New Panama 

Canal Company, whose works, including the railway, they 

valued at $40,000,000, was excessive. Realising how 

futile it would be to compete against a Government canal, 

the New Panama Company immediately offered to sell at 

that price, and the purchase was duly authorised by the 

" Spooner " Act of 1902. By the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty 

of 1 90 1, Great Britain waived the right of joint control, it 

being agreed that the canal should be " free and open to the 

vessels of commerce and of war of all nations ... on terms 

of entire equality," and all that remained was for the United 

States to make a satisfactory arrangement with Colombia. 



PANAMA CANAL, COLON, AND PANAMA 431 

A treaty was then negotiated whereby the United States 
was to pay $10,000,000, and an annual rent of $100,000 
after nine years for a strip of land. Colombia refused to 
ratify, and a few days later Panama declared her indepen- 
dence, which was at once recognised by the United States, 
and within a few months a treaty was negotiated with the 
new-born republic and ratified, by which the Canal Zone was 
leased to the United States for $10,000,000, and an annual 
payment of $250,000 after nine years. Since then work 
has steadily proceeded, and on October 10, 191 3, the final 
obstruction in the canal was blown up by President Wood- 
row- Wilson, who, by pressing an electric button at Washing- 
ton, closed a circuit of over 4000 miles of telegraph line 
and cable and ignited an immense charge of dynamite, 
which destroyed the last dam across the Culebra Cut. 

HOTELS. Colon. The Washington Hotel, owned by the 
Panama Rail Road Company, is by far the best. It was 
opened in 191 3 and has accommodation for 180 guests. 
Rooms from $2 per day, from June to December, and $3 
in the season. The Imperial Hotel and the Miramar Hotel 
are both recommended. Board and lodging, from $4 
gold per day and upwards. Culebra. The Isthmian 
Canal Commission's hotel is open to visitors (terms as 
above). Panama. The Tivoli Hotel at Ancon, conducted 
on strictly temperance lines, is excellent (terms as above). 
Fair accommodation can also be obtained at the Hotel 
Central in Panama, and the Hotel International, near the 
railway station. Board and lodging from $3 . Taboga Island. 
Hotel AspinwalL Board and lodging, $3. The Y.M.C.A. 
is well represented throughout the Canal Zone. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Colon is now visited 
by steamers of many lines, among them being those 
numbered 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 11, 15, 18 and 21 in the list on pages 
14 to 27. The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company have 
their own wharf at Colon. Other vessels calling there 
go alongside one of the wharves of the Panama Rail Road 
Company. Carriages are easily obtainable. The fares in 
Colon and Panama are 10 cents gold per journey for each 
person within the city limits, and 20 cents outside. The rate 
per hour in Colon is : For one person, 7 5 cents gold ; for two 



432 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

persons $i gold, and for three persons $1.25 gold. The fare 
to the Gatun Dam is $5 gold for the round trip. The fares 
by hour in Panama are each 25 cents more than those in 
Colon. The Panama Rail Road affords opportunities 
for reaching various points of interest on the route of the 
canal. The fare to Panama or back is $2.50 gold. 

The principal stations on the line and their distances are . 





Miles 




Station. 


from 


Approxi- 




Colon. 


mate time. 


Colon .... 




5 mins. 


Mount Hope 








i-57 


15 „ 


Gatun . 








6.79 


1 S >> 


Monte Lirio 








14.48 


28 „ 


Frijoles 








20.92 


40 „ 


Caimito 








26.13 


49 >> 


Gamboa 








30.26 


57 .» 


New Culebra 






35-19 


1 .08 hrs. 


Pedro Miguel jc. 






40.23 


1.20 ,, 


Miraflores 






41.74 


1.26 „ 


Corozal 






44.24 


1.26 „ 


j Panama 






47.11 


i-45 „ 



A service (2nd class) is also maintained between Pedro 
Miguel Junction and Bas Obispo, calling at Paraiso 
Culebra, Empire and Las Cascadas. (Time, 35 minutes.) 

A " shuttle " train plies at regular intervals between 
Third Street, Colon, and Gatun, calling at the following 
stations : Fifth Street, Passenger Station (Colon), Com- 
missary (Cristobal), Shops (Cristobal), Mount Hope, Mindi. 
New Gatun, and Gatun. (Time, 25 minutes.) 

CLUBS. The Strangers' Club at Colon welcomes visitors 
At Cristobal, the American settlement, there is a Y.M.C.A 
which also shows hospitality to visitors. 

PRINCIPAL SIGHTS. Colon, formerly called Aspin 
wall after the name of one of the founders of the Panama 
Rail Road (see page 429), stands on Manzanillo Island, whicr 
is only separated from the mainland by dismal mangrovt 



PANAMA CANAL, COLON, AND PANAMA 433 

swamps. Formerly a hot-bed of yellow fever, it has now 
been improved by the Americans out of all recognition ; 
the streets have been paved, and the breeding-places of 
mosquitoes filled in, with the result that the place is now 
comparatively healthy. 

As the steamer approaches the shore, the great break- 
water which extends from Toro Point and protects the 
Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal is seen on 
the right. This breakwater is 11,700 feet long and cost 
$5,500,000 ; 2,840,000 cubic feet of rock were used in its 
construction. 

The large and substantial Washington Hotel (bear to 
the left and beyond the gardens on leaving the wharf), 
indicates the confidence of the Americans that the town 
will be largely patronised when the Panama Canal is in full 
working order. In front of the entrance in Bolivar Street 
stands the monument to the pioneers of the Panama 
Rail Road. It consists of an ornate column with medallions 
on a triangular base bearing sculptured portraits of 
Aspinwall, Chauncey, and Stevens. 

Turning to the right on leaving the wharf one comes to 
Front Street, a row of two-storied wooden houses, shops, 
and numerous American bars of the most elaborate descrip- 
tion . After nightfall they are brilliantly lighted and resound 
with the music of many orchestras. This street leads to 
the substantial Railway station of the Panama Rail Road. 
The Cable Office is also in Front Street. 

Away to the right again is the American suburb of 
Cristobal, which is within the Canal Zone and consequently 
far more dignified and orderly than its cosmopolitan 
neighbour. The sea-wall is fringed with graceful coco-nut 
palms ; behind them are rows of mosquito-proof houses, 
screened with copper gauze and looking like glorified meat 
safes, in which the " gold employees " on the canal reside. 
The employees, it should be explained, are divided into two 
classes, "gold employees" and "silver employees." The 
former are the officials, clerks, and skilled white men who 
are paid in United States currency, whilst the latter are the 
labourers who receive their pay in the silver Panamanian 
currency. 



434 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Passing along the sea-wall one reaches the house once 
occupied by Ferdinand de Lesseps. This, too, is now 
mosquito-proof. It is used as the offices of the Isthmian 
Canal Commission, whose cypher, I.C.C., becomes so 
familiar when one crosses the Isthmus. The statue of 
Columbus protecting an Indian maiden (to be moved to a 
new site) was the gift of the Empress Eugenie. From the 
sea-wall, many new wharves jut out into the sea and those 
of the railroad are near-by. 

For the rest only the elaborate cold-storage plant, the 
electric laundry, and the wireless station — each in its way a 
triumph of American ingenuity — remain to be seen. 

The Panama Canal. Part of the programme of the 
Isthmian Canal Commission has been to do all that they 
can for the comfort and convenience of visitors. Special 
trains are provided for them on the railroad and special 
sightseeing vessels on the Gatun Lake. As, however, the 
time-table is subject to considerable variation from time to 
time the tourist should enquire at the railway station or 
Commission's offices, where he can obtain information as 
to the arrangements in force. 

The construction of the Panama Canal involved the 
relocation of the greater part of the Panama railroad, and 
the new line, which cost $8,866,392.02, is 47.11 miles long, 
or 739 feet longer than the old. The old line is still used 
from Colon to Mindi (4.17 miles) and from Corozal to 
Panama ; but the remainder is all new. Shortly after 
leaving Colon, Mount Hope is passed on the left. Here in 
the days of the French regime, when it was called Monkey 
Hill, many thousands of victims of yellow fever and disease 
were buried. From Mindi to Gatun the line runs parallel 
with the Canal. Gatun (6.79 miles) is reached in fifteen 
minutes. Here is situated the great dam which holds back 
the Chagres River, forming an immense lake 164 square 
miles in extent, or approximately the size of the Lake of 
Geneva. To reach this lake, steamers will pass through 
a series of three locks which will lift them to a height of 
85 feet. Some idea of the colossal size of these locks may be 
realised when it is said that they are each 1000 ft. long by 
1 10 ft. wide, while their gates are steel structures 7 ft. thick, 



PANAMA CANAL, COLON, AND PANAMA 435 

6$ ft. long, from 47 to 82 ft. high, and weighing from. 390 to 
730 tons each. Ships will not pass through the locks under 
their own power, but will be towed by powerful electric 
locomotives running on tracks along the lock walls. To avoid 
risks of vessels running amok and ramming the lock gates, 
fender chains are placed on the up-stream side of the guard 
gates, besides intermediate and safety gates. These chains 
are lowered into grooves in the lock floor to enable vessels to 
pass, and are then raised again by machinery. Special 
emergency dams of an elaborate nature are also provided. 
The entire lock machinery is operated by electricity 
generated by the overflow from the Gatun Lake. The 
operation of opening the lock gates, filling and emptying 
the lock chambers (each containing from 3J to 5 million 
cubic feet of water), and raising and lowering the fender 
chains, weighing 24,098 lbs., can be controlled by one man 
at each group of locks. 

The Gatun Dam, which unites the hills on either side of 
the lower end of the Chagres valley, is nearly if miles long 
and \ mile wide at the base, 400 feet wide at the water 
surface and 100 feet wide at the top. It is formed of a 
mixture of sand and clay dredged by hydraulic process and 
placed between two large masses of rock, &c, obtained by 
steam- shovel excavation at various points along the canal. 
In all about 21,000,000 cubic yards of material were used in 
its construction. In the centre of the Dam is the Spillway, 
a concrete-lined channel nearly 1200 feet long and 285 feet 
wide, which carries off the surplus waters of the lake and 
regulates its depth. To the north of this spillway is the 
electric generating station which provides the Canal Zone 
with light and power. 

At Gatun the line leaves the Canal and turns east 
along Gatun Ridge, and then south again, crossing the 
Gatun valley by several embankments and a steel girder 
bridge with a movable span, to Monte Lirio (1448 miles), 
after which it skirts the east shore of the Gatun Lake 
past Frijoles (20.92 miles) and Caimito (26.13 miles) to the 
Culebra Cut, which begins at Bas Obispo. 

The great Culebra Cut is the most striking feature of the 
entire canal. It is no fewer than 9 miles long, and the total 



436 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

excavation which it involved was over 230,000,000 cubic 
yards, of which 20,419,720 were removed by the French. 

This great cutting, affectionately known to the Canal 
employees as the " Big Ditch," is the wonder of the Canal. 
So immense is it, that during the construction period, one 
had, from above, to gaze at it for some minutes before 
the thousands of workers, the dirt trains and the steam 
shovels could be distinguished. To quote Mr. John Foster 
Fraser : 

The Culebra Cut is within the range of the comprehension 
of the ordinary person. To delve through hills for nine miles ; 
cut a channel with an average depth of 1 20 feet, with a minimum 
width of 300 feet ; to slice through the continental divide, Gold 
Hill and Contractors' Hill separating the watersheds toward the 
Pacific and Atlantic ; remove a clear depth of 375 feet of hill ; 
haul away about 100 million cubic yards of rock and earth — 
nearly half the total excavations in the Canal construction — 
have the work constantly checked by thousands of tons of the 
hill-sides sliding into the Canal, bringing into the Cut streams 
which had been diverted, and threatening to flood the workers 
out ; there is something dramatic, majestic and occasionally 
terrible in it all. 

Leaving the Canal again at Bas Obispo, the line cuts 
through a ridge of solid rock behind Gold Hill, and eventu- 
ally runs down the Pedro Miguel Valley to Paraiso. Here 
is the Pedro Miguel (popularly known as " Peter McGill "J 
lock, similar in construction to those at Gatun, which will 
lower vessels 30^ feet to the Mirarlores Lake. This lake is 
formed by dams connecting the walls of the Miraflores 
Locks with the high ground on either side. The dam to 
the west is of earth, and is about 2700 feet long, with a crest 
1 5 feet above the level of the lake, while that to the east is 
formed of concrete (about 75,000 cubic yards) and is about 
500 feet long. The Mirarlores locks, two in number (and 
both duplicated), will lower vessels 54! feet to the level of 
the Pacific. The dam which kept the waters of the Pacific 
from these locks during the construction period was 
successfully blown up by dynamite in the presence of a 
large crowd of spectators on August 31, 191 3. About 
37,000 lbs. of 45 and 60 per cent, dynamite were used, 
the charge being placed in 541 holes at an average depth of 
30 feet. Said the Canal Record : 






PANAMA CANAL, COLON, AND PANAMA 437 

At the time of the explosion the water in the channel, south 
of the barrier, was nearly at low tide. The dynamite tore a 
gap in the dyke about 100 feet wide, but as the bottom of the 
gap was still at some height above the existing tide level, no 
water passed through. An 18-ft. tide was predicted for 
Sunday, with its maximum at 3.12 p.m., so that before high 
tide water was expected to flow over the gap in the dyke. This 
expectation was fulfilled a little earlier than was anticipated, 
for at 1.35 p.m. the water in the sea-level channel was nearly 
even with the top of the gap. At this moment a man with a 
shovel made a small trench across the dyke through which a 
small stream of water began to flow. This rapidly increased 
in size until forty minutes later an opening 30 feet wide had been 
made, through which a torrent of water poured in a 30 or 3 5 -ft. 
fall. The rush of water ate away the sides of the opening 
steadily, carrying large sections of the dyke, including trestle 
bents and other debris, into the pit. The increasing volume of 
water filled the pit rapidly, and at 3 o'clock, one hour and twenty- 
five minutes after the water first began to flow over, the level in 
the inside channel was that of the outside channel, while the 
gap had been widened to 400 feet or more. 

From Paraiso the railway runs practically parallel to the 
canal to the terminals at Panama and Balboa. 

Panama (population about 45,000), the capital of the 
Republic of Panama, was built during the governorship of 
Fernandez de Cordova after the destruction of the earlier 
city of the same name, which stood four miles to the west 
and was destroyed by Henry Morgan, the buccaneer, in 
1 67 1. It stands on a rocky peninsula at the foot of the 
Ancon Hill (560 feet), which is recognised by geologists as 
being the cone of an extinct volcano. Since Panama 
gained her freedom from Colombia, the city has undergone 
many notable improvements, and the $10,000,000 paid 
by the United States for the lease of the Canal Zone has 
enabled the Government to erect several handsome buildings 
which give the city a very different appearance to that 
which it latterly presented under the old regime. The 
United States, who have control on sanitary matters, paved 
the streets and provided the city with a modern system 
of sanitation and water supply which is now maintained 
by and at the expense of the local Government. 

The houses, which are built of stone and roofed with 
red tiles, rarely exceed two or three storeys in height, and 



438 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the balconies with which they are provided emphasise the 
narrowness of the streets, which are remarkably picturesque. 
Opposite the railway station is the Ameiican suburb of Ancon, 
straggling round Ancon Hill, on which stands the immense 
mosquito-screened Tivoli Hotel, and other buildings 
similarly protected. It is here that the hospital established 
by the French in De Lesseps' time is situated, amid avenues 
of cabbage palms and grassy lawns a feature of which 
is the abundance of a species of sensitive plant. 

The main thoroughfare of Panama is the Avenida 
Central, which, starting in a curve, leads to the Plaza 
de la Independencia, as the old Cathedral Plaza is now 
called, and to the Malecon, or sea wall, beyond. A stroll 
down this street reveals the cosmopolitan nature of the 
city. The retail trade is seen to be largely in the hands 
of Chinamen. Tempted by the improved condition of 
affairs in the country, celestials began to arrive in such 
numbers that it was deemed necessary to impose a head 
tax of $250 on those arriving since 1904. This the new- 
comers pay willingly for the privilege of residing and 
carrying on trade in Panama. Here the West meets the 
East, and Spaniards, Italians, Frenchmen, and, indeed, 
representatives of every European country, and negroes, 
rub shoulders with Indians and Chinese. 

The Avenida Central is now traversed by electric cars, 
which take one in a few minutes to the Cathedral. The 
chief features of its weather-worn fabric are the two twin 
towers, the domes of which are encased in mother-of- 
pearl, said to have been brought across the Isthmus from 
the pearl fisheries of Margarita. The Cathedral was built 
at the expense of a negro who was the son of a poor charcoal 
burner and rose to the position of Bishop of Panama. The 
building took eighty-eight years to complete. 

Other churches worthy of inspection are those of San 
Felipe Neri, which has an arch dated 1688, and stands 
near the Plaza Bolivar; San Francisco, in that Plaza, 
completed in 1740 ; San Jose, and Santa Ana, which has 
a handsome altar service of hammered silver. A visit 
should also be paid to the historic "flat arch" of Santo 
Domingo, a church which was destroyed by fire in 1737. 



PANAMA CANAL, COLON, AND PANAMA 439 

Only part of the walls and the arch now remain. This 
church was built by the Dominican Monks, who experienced 
great difficulty in designing and building a suitable support 
for the organ loft. Arch after arch was built ; but each 
one collapsed. Then one of the monks happened to have 
a dream in which a perfect arch was revealed to him. 
On awakening next morning, he at once made a plan of this 
arch, which was duly constructed by the worthy monks. 
When the supports were about to be withdrawn, the monk, 
with folded arms, stood below the arch to show his con- 
fidence in its stability, and from that day to this it has 
remained in position, and has braved earthquakes, fire, 
and the scepticism of architects. This story recalls the 
courage of Sir Christopher Wren, who, yielding to the 
importunities of the Town Councillors of Windsor, added 
extra columns to their Town Hall at Windsor, which he 
had designed. They declared that otherwise the floor would 
collapse ; so Wren erected the columns. But he purposely 
made them too short, and to this day the floor stands as he 
made it, and there is a space between it and the columns. 

Facing the Cathedral are several public buildings, and 
the Episcopal Palace and old Government Palace. Among 
the new buildings one of the most noteworthy in the neigh- 
bourhood is the handsome Palacio Municipal or City Hall. 

At the lower end of the Avenida is a substantial group 
of Government Buildings, at the back of which is the 
handsome Teatro Nacional. This is certainly one of the 
finest buildings of the kind in this part of the world. 

The Malecon or sea wall is a popular and fashionable 
promenade. To the west of it is another Malecon — that 
of Las Bovedas, under which are the old prisons. The 
view from these sea walls of the Pacific — which, strange 
as it may seem to some expectant tourists, does not differ 
in appearance from the Atlantic — is very attractive. 
The islands in the bay are those of Naos, Flamenco and 
Culebra, which have now been fortified by the United 
States, and Perico and the larger island of Taboga, which 
can^be visited. These islands are believed to have been 
the outlets of the prehistoric volcano whose principal cone 
was Ancon HilL 



440 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

Those interested in educational matters should not fail 
to inspect the Institute* National, Panama's University, 
which was opened in 191 1 . It occupies a palatial group of 
buildings at the foot of Ancon Hill. 

Among the excursions which can be made from Panama is 
the drive to Old Panama, which can be reached by motor- 
car (enquiries should be made at the hotel) by a fair driving 
road in about half an hour. In recent years the local 
Government have cleared the ruins to some extent, and the 
tower of the church and other remains can be seen without 
discomfort. The city was founded in 15 19 by Pedro 
Arias de Avila, and was granted a charter two years later. 
Being the entrepot of the trade with Peru, it soon became 
very wealthy. Here the treasure was transferred to mule- 
back, to be carried across the Isthmus to Cruces, whence 
it was conveyed to the fortified port of Chagres by boat 
or to Porto Bello by the high road . The town was frequently 
attacked by pirates and buccaneers, and in 15 19 it was 
sacked and completely destroyed by Henry Morgan. 

Morgan, after capturing the castle of Chagres, marched 
across the Isthmus with a force of 1200 men. After nine 
days of intense suffering through want of food, they sighted 
the Pacific Ocean and the object of their walk. Then, to 
quote Esquemeling : 

A little while after they came the first time within sight of 
the highest steeple of Panama. This steeple they no sooner had 
discovered than they began to show signs of extreme joy, casting 
up their hats into the air, leaping for mirth, and shouting, even 
just as if they had already obtained the victory and entire ac- 
complishment of their designs. All their trumpets were sounded 
and every drum beaten, in token of this universal acclamation 
and huge alacrity of their minds. 

Fifty Spanish horsemen soon came out of the city " pre- 
ceded by a trumpet that sounded marvellously well," 
and threatened the buccaneers, saying " Perros / nos 
veremos " (Ye dogs, we shall meet thee), and immediately 
afterwards the city opened fire. On the following day the 
Governor of Panama extended in battle array his forces, 
which consisted of " two squadrons, four regiments of foot, 
and a huge number of wild bulls, which were driven by 
a great number of Indians with some negroes and others 



PANAMA CANAL, COLON, AND PANAMA 441 

to help them." Fortunately the wild bulls were scared 
by the noise and did little harm. At the end of two hours, 
most of the Spanish horsemen were killed and the remainder 
fled. The Spanish losses comprised no fewer than six 
hundred dead besides wounded and prisoners. After 
resting awhile, the buccaneers marched courageously 
towards the city, which the Spaniards stubbornly defended 
with their ' ' great guns, at several quarters thereof, some of 
which were charged with small pieces of iron, and others 
with musket -bullets," and after three hours combat 
they were compelled to deliver up the city, which was set 
on fire and destroyed. The city had at this period eight 
monasteries, two stately churches, and a hospital. "The 
churches and monasteries were all richly adorned with altar- 
pieces and paintings, huge quantity (sic) of gold and silver, 
with other precious things." The houses, which were built 
of cedar, numbered 2000. The fire lasted for four weeks, 
but before it was extinguished the pirates decamped. 

If time permits, a visit may be made to the wharves 
at Balboa, the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, which 
lies behind Ancon Hill, two miles to the west of Panama. 
Formerly known as La Boca, the place was renamed in 
honour of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the discoverer of the 
Pacific. Here have been constructed dry docks, repair 
shops, &c, for vessels using the canal. 



CHAPTER XVIII 
SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 

Sugar : Rum : Cocoa : Bananas : Cotton : Rubber : 
Balata 

THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. In spite of many vicissitudes, 
sugar is still the leading industry of the British West Indies, 
though, if British Guiana be excluded, it is run very close 
by cocoa. The sugar-cane, which was well known to the 
ancients in the East, was first introduced into the West 
Indies by the Spaniards, who were made acquainted with 
it through the Moors. As far back as 1578 there were no 
fewer than twenty- eight sugar works in operation in Cuba, 
and the cultivation of the sugar-cane spread rapidly to the 
other islands as soon as they were settled. 

The Abolition o£ Slavery. The first of the serious troubles 
which the industry had to face was the abolition of the 
slave trade in 1807, which was followed by that of slavery 
in 1834. The value of the estates and slaves was then 
estimated at ^219,000,000 ; and though compensation to 
the extent of ^16,640,000 was granted to slave owners, 
this sum proved quite inadequate to make good the loss 
suffered. Slavery continued in Cuba and other foreign 
possessions for many years later, but a prohibitive tariff 
was imposed in the United Kingdom against slave-grown 
sugar, and thus for a time planters were enabled to 
strengthen their position. In 1846, however, the differen- 
tial duty was lowered ; and a few years later, the sugar 
duties being equalised, slave-grown sugar was admitted 
into the United Kingdom on the same terms as free-grown 
sugar, with results which were disastrous to our planters. 

The Sugar Bounties. No sooner was slavery abolished 
442 



SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 443 

in Cuba in 1886, than another serious trouble had to be 
faced. The beetroot sugar industry on the Continent, 
encouraged by Napoleon Buonaparte, was increasing by 
rapid strides under a pernicious system of bounties which 
enabled the foreigner to undersell the British producer in 
our own markets. These bounties varied from about £1 to 
nearly ^5 per ton, and exercised a blighting effect on the 
West Indian sugar industry, many planters being unable, 
in consequence of them, to raise the necessary capital to per- 
mit them to keep pace with the times and improve their 
appliances. In 1897-98 these bounties were supplemented 
by cartel bounties in Germany and Austria, which drove 
the price of sugar in Great Britain far below the cost of 
production. Owing to the existence of protective tariffs, 
cartels or trusts, which consisted of sugar producers and 
manufacturers, were able to charge the home consumer such 
a high price for his sugar that they were able to export or 
" dump " the balance of their output at a loss and yet 
realise a substantial profit from the transaction as a whole. 
The Brussels Convention. For over a quarter of a cen- 
tury an active campaign was carried on against bounties. 
They were condemned by statesmen of every shade of 
political opinion, but no British Ministry had the courage 
to stamp them out by imposing a countervailing duty on 
bounty-fed sugar entering our markets, or by prohibiting 
it. Several international conferences were held, but each 
one proved abortive until 1902. On March 5 in that year, 
at a conference at Brussels, a Convention was signed by 
the principal sugar-producing States, and subsequently 
ratified by them, by which they agreed to abolish bounties 
from September 1, 1903, and to render the existence of 
cartels impossible by limiting the difference between the 
customs duties and excise duties. A penal clause in this 
Convention provided that the High Contracting States 
should impose a countervailing duty on, or prohibit the 
importation into their territories of, sugars from countries 
which granted bounties either on production or export. 
Equality of opportunity in British markets was thus once 
more restored, and as a result considerable developments 
took place in the West Indian sugar industry. It was 



444 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

agreed that the Convention should remain in force for five 
years and thenceforward from year to year, but the right 
was reserved to each of the Contracting States of with- 
drawing on notifying such intention twelve months before 
the expiration of the Convention. 

It was generally believed that in view of pre-election 
pledges the Liberal Government which came into power in 
1906 would denounce the agreement, and on June 6, 1907, 
Sir Edward Grey announced that he had intimated to 
the Contracting States that prohibition or the imposition of 
countervailing duties was inconsistent with the declared 
policy of the British Government, and that they could not 
therefore continue to give effect to the provisions requiring 
them to penalise bounty-fed sugar. He added that they 
had no desire to give sugar bounties or to see the revival 
of such bounties, and should the governments of the 
Contracting States consider that these views could only be 
met by the complete withdrawal of Great Britain from the 
Convention they would be prepared to give the necessary 
notice on the first possible date. He intimated, however, 
that if the other Contracting States preferred to exempt the 
United Kingdom by Supplementary Protocol from the 
obligation to enforce the penal provisions of the Convention, 
this would render it unnecessary to give notice of withdrawal. 

Thenceforward the attention of the sugar-producing 
world was concentrated upon Brussels, where the Permanent 
International Sugar Commission, established under the 
Convention, sat to consider this proposition. Inasmuch as 
Russia was the only bounty-giving Power of any conse- 
quence outside the Convention, it became apparent from 
the first that the solution of the difficulty would lie in the 
adhesion of Russia, and in the direction of securing this 
the negotiations proceeded. Before the close of the year 
it was announced that Russia had agreed to adhere to the 
Convention, subject to the understanding that she might 
maintain her fiscal and customs system, but should not 
increase the advantage to the producers in the maximum 
price fixed for sale on the home market. She engaged, 
moreover, not to export more than one million tons of sugar 
during the six years 1 907-191 3. An Additional Act to the 



SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 445 

Convention releasing Great Britain from the obligations 
under the penal clause, and a Protocol dealing with the 
adhesion of Russia, were signed by all the Contracting States 
and a menace to our colonies was thus averted. 

In 191 1 there occurred a rise in price of sugar owing to a 
shortage of 1,700,000 tons in the beet crop in Europe, and 
on November 21 Sir Edward Grey intimated that unless 
Russia were allowed to export at least 500,000 tons of 
su£ar (bounty fed) westward during the season then current, 
His Majesty's Government would withdraw from the Con- 
vention in September 191 3. The International Sugar Com- 
mission met at Brussels, and after negotiations a Protocol 
was signed on March 17, 191 2, by all the High Contracting 
States with the exception of Great Britain, providing for 
the prolongation of the Convention to 191 8, subject to 
Russia being permitted to export 250,000 tons more sugar 
between 1911-12 and 1913-14. Under this Protocol, which 
was subsequently ratified, the High Contracting States 
undertook not to exercise the right granted to them by 
the Convention of 1902 of denouncing that agreement by 
giving notice before September 1, 191 3. 

On August 1, 1 91 2, Mr. Sydney Buxton announced in the 
House of Commons that the Government had decided to 
withdraw from the Sugar Convention as from September 1, 
1 91 3. This announcement gave rise to a good deal of 
misapprehension until the West India Committee pointed 
out that in view of the decision of the principal Powers to 
continue the Convention themselves, the only results of 
the Government's action would be that (1) Great Britain 
would lose her right to be represented on the International 
Sugar Commission at Brussels, and that (2) she would 
regain the right, which was taken from her by the final 
Protocol of the Convention of 1902, to grant a preference 
in the United Kingdom to British colonial sugar as against 
sugar from the contracting States. 

Reciprocity with Canada. By the Dominion Tariff Act 
of 1897, which came into force on August 1 of the following 
year, a preference of 25 per cent, was given to raw sugar 
from the British West Indies and to certain other British 
produce entering Canada. From July 1, 1900, this was 



446 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

increased to 33J per cent, and extended to refined sugar of 
British growth and manufacture, and on April 1, 1907, by 
the Tariff Act of the preceding year, changes were made 
which had the effect of raising the preference to 37-! per 
cent. Until the bounties were abolished West Indian sugar 
found a better market in the United States, whose Govern- 
ment imposed a countervailing duty on bounty-fed sugar, 
but after the abolition of bounties and consequent upon 
the United States giving a preference to Cuban sugar and 
becoming more and more self-supporting in regard to sugar 
supplies, West Indian sugar began to go to Canada in 
increasing quantities. The value of the preference was, 
however, reduced by the permission given to the refiners in 
1907, of importing at the British preferential rates for a 
certain period two tons of beet sugar for every ton of 
Canadian beet which they refined, and the further privilege 
given them in 1909 of importing foreign sugar to the extent 
of 20 per cent, of their requirements at British preferential 
rates, it being alleged that West Indian producers were 
combining to raise prices to the refiners. Since 1904 
British-produced molasses entering Canada has been duty 
free. 

In 1909 a Royal Commission was appointed to inquire 
into the question of closer trade between Canada and the 
West Indies, and as the outcome of its report a 
conference between representatives of each of the West 
Indian colonies (Bermuda, the Bahamas, British Honduras, 
Jamaica, and Grenada excepted) and the Dominion of 
Canada met in Ottawa, on March 29, 191 2, under the chair- 
manship of the Hon. (now Sir) George E. Foster, Minister of 
Trade and Commerce of the Dominion, and on Aprils an 
agreement was signed, providing for the establishment of a 
reciprocal trade arrangement between the British West 
Indies and Canada for a period of ten years. The basis 
of this arrangement is a mutual preference of 20 per cent, 
on the chief products of the countries concerned, with a 
minimum preference on flour in favour of Canada of 12 
cents per 100 lb,, and the following preference on sugar in 
favour of the West Indies : on raw sugar not above No. 16 
Dutch standard in colour, and molasses setting over 



SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 447 

56 degrees and not over 75 degrees by the polariscope, not 
at any time less than 4^ cents per 100 lb., and for each 
additional degree over 75 degrees not less than -|- cent per 
100 lb. By the terms of the agreement it was further 
provided that the privilege given to the Canadian sugar 
refiners of importing 20 per cent, of their requirements from 
foreign sources on the terms of the British preferential tariff 
should be repealed, and that of importing on preferential 
terms an equal quantity of sugar to that produced by 
Canadian beetroot should not be renewed when it expired 
in 191 4. Grenada joined the agreement in 191 3. 

West Indian Sugar Crops. The annual output of sugar 
from British Guiana is 100,000 tons, and from the British 
West India islands it is approximately as follows : Trini- 
dad, 35,000 tons ; Barbados, 40,000 tons ; Jamaica, 
16,000 tons; Antigua, 14,000 tons; St. Kitts, 10,000 tons; 
St. Lucia, 8,000 tons ; and from Martinique, 40,000 tons ; 
Guadeloupe, 39,000 tons ; St. Croix, 12,000, and Haiti and 
Santo Domingo, 4800 tons ; while Cuba produces 2,500,000 
tons, and Porto Rico 300,000 tons per annum. 

Sugar Manufacture. There are two principal forms of 
sugar manufacture in the West Indies — the antiquated 
muscovado process, which yields the old-fashioned brown 
sugars of childhood's days ; and the vacuum-pan process, 
which turns out the familiar yellow " Demerara crystals," 
or else grey sugar for refining purposes. As every tourist 
will doubtless visit one or more sugar factories during his 
stay in the West Indies, the following brief outline of these 
two methods of manufacture may be of interest. To begin 
with, the sugar-canes are grown from cuttings of the mature 
canes. These take from twelve to eighteen months to 
reach maturity. They are then cut down by field labourers 
with cutlasses, trimmed, and conveyed to the mill, which 
consists, in the case of the small muscovado factories, of 
three rollers, the power being supplied either by windmill, 
the old-fashioned beam-engine, or a horizontal steam- 
engine. The dirty, greenish- coloured juice which is then 
expressed is heated up to the desired temperature, and 
passes into a tank called a clarifier, where it is mixed with 
a certain amount of lime. By this, means the impurities 



44§ POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

are separated from it. The clarified juice then flows down 
to the " copper wall," which consists of a series of three or 
more large open copper tanks, called "tayches," in which 
the process of evaporating the liquor takes place, the juice 
being boiled in these tayches, by a fire which is kindled 
under them and kept going with the megass or crushed 
cane, which is dried in the sun and used as fuel. The juice 
is ladled by dippers from the first tayche to the second, and 
so on to the third, in which the process of evaporation is 
generally concluded, though in some cases an extra pan 
heated by steam, known as the Aspinall pan, is used for 
completing the process. When the juice reaches a sufficient 
density it is ladled out and poured into large square boxes 
called coolers, in which it is allowed to crystallise. As 
soon as it becomes sufficiently solid it is dug out and put 
into large wooden casks called hogsheads, with perforated 
bottoms, which are placed on " rangers " or rafters, on the 
floor of what is known as the stanchion-room. Here it is 
left for two or three weeks and allowed to drain, the un- 
crystallised sugar or molasses running out through holes 
guarded with plantain stalks into the tank below. After 
this period the cask is headed up, and the sugar is then 
ready for shipment. There are many different qualities of 
this muscovado sugar, the best being the lighter kinds, 
while the sugar from the bottom of the casks commands a 
lower price, and is termed " foots." 

The vacuum-pan process of sugar manufacture, which 
can be seen in British Guiana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Antigua, 
St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and Barbados, is altogether more 
elaborate. Without entering too closely into technical 
details which might confuse the reader, its main charac- 
teristics may be described as follows : As soon as the 
canes are cut they are conveyed to the factory, in punts 
in British Guiana, where the conditions of the front lands 
closely resemble those of the Netherlands, and by light rail- 
ways or carts in the islands. They are then weighed, lifted 
out by machinery, and placed on the cane-carrier, an 
endless belt which conveys them direct to the mill. Here 
they are crushed by means of a succession of rollers, in 
some cases there being as many as four sets, which form 



SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 449 

with crushers a fourteen-roller mill. The megass or crushed 
cane is removed on another carrier direct to the furnaces for 
which it is used as fuel, the furnaces being specially made to 
burn green megass, thus obviating the necessity of drying 
it in the sun. The juice is then pumped up into clarifying 
tanks, in which it is treated in the same manner as is 
described above. The pure liquor is next drawn through 
pipes into the triple effect, an apparatus for economical 
evaporation consisting of a series of three closed vessels, 
in which the juice is boiled to concentrate or thicken it. 
The object of the triple is to save steam, and consequently 
fuel. By producing successively lower boiling-points in the 
several vessels through reducing the air pressure in them, 
the vapour from the juice in the first when heated by steam 
is made to boil the juice in the second, and that from the 
second the juice in the third, to which a vacuum pump is 
attached. The syrup, as the juice is now called, is then 
transferred to the vacuum pan, in which it is boiled at a 
low temperature until granulation sets in, this process 
being watched through a small glass window, and the 
progress of crystallisation being tested by a " proof stick," 
which is inserted into the pan through valves and withdraws 
a sample of the liquor. The vacuum pan is then " struck " 
or tapped at the bottom, the contents, now called " masse- 
cuite," being transferred to the centrifugals, large drums 
with, perforated or mesh sides, which are made to revolve 
some 1200 times to the minute. The result of this operation 
is that the molasses is driven out of the drums by centrifugal 
force, leaving the sugar behind, which is mixed to secure 
uniformity of grade and colour, packed in bags, and is then 
ready for shipment. The molasses, which is not such a 
valuable commodity as muscovado molasses, is then 
reboiled, and made into inferior grades of sugar, callecr 
second and third sugars, or, if prices favour it, is used to 
make rum in the manner described below or a cattle-food 
known as Molascuit. This commodity, patented by Mr. 
George Hughes, consists of the interior or cellulose fibre of 
the sugar-cane finely screened and then blended with cane 
molasses. In most parts of the West Indies rum is a 
secondary product to sugar, but on some estates in Jamaica 



4 so POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

the sugar-canes are grown principally for the purpose of 
making that spirit. 

THE BUM INDUSTRY. The term rum is said to be 
derived from " Saccharum." In the old days before it 
received its present designation it was styled " Kill-devil." 
About the middle of the seventeenth century it was first 
called " Rumbullion," an old Devonshire term for uproar 
or rumpus. An old West Indian work says, " The chief e 
fudling they make in the island is Rumbullion, alias, kill- 
devil, and this is made of suggar -canes distilled, a hott, 
hellish, and terrible liquor." The method of manufacture 
is roughly as follows. Molasses, skimmings, &c, are mixed 
with water, sulphuric acid, and in British Guiana ammonia 
also, and this " wash," as it is then called, is allowed to 
stand in large wooden vats, in which it ferments. In 
British Guiana this process requires about two days, and 
in Jamaica a week and upwards. When the fermentation 
ceases and the wash has settled, it is transferred to the 
" still," a copper vessel preferably heated by fire underneath. 
The spirit is boiled off from the wash, and after being rectified 
in a vessel containing vertical tubes surrounded with water, 
is condensed in a spiral tube cooled with running water. 
In some cases a " Coffey " still is used. This is a vertical 
still consisting of two columns of considerable height, with 
an internal arrangement of alternate shelves. The wash 
is introduced at the top of the first, and drops from shelf 
to shelf until it reaches the bottom, meeting on its way doVn 
a current of steam, while the vapour from it passes to the 
bottom of the second column, where it is rectified by the 
cold wash passing through it in tubes, and condensed in 
the upper part. The process is continuous, and the 
separation is so complete that the hot spirit constantly 
passes off to the cooler from near the top of the second, 
while the waste liquor runs off at the bottom of the first. 
As it comes from the still the spirit is colourless, but prior 
to shipment it is coloured to meet the market requirements 
with burnt sugar or molasses. The finest rum in the world 
is produced in Jamaica. Its dietetic value, especially when 
mixed with milk, is so well known that it needs no special 
encomium in these pages. The average annual export of 



SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 451 

rum from Jamaica is 1,300,000 gallons ; from the other 
West Indian islands, 200,000 gallons ; and from British 
Guiana, 2,500,000 gallons. 

THE COCOA INDUSTRY. The Spaniards were not only- 
responsible for introducing sugar into the West Indies, 
but also cocoa, or cacao to give the product its strictly 
correct name. The original home of this plant was pro- 
bably in South America, and cacao is even now found in 
its wild state on the banks of the upper Amazon and in the 
interior of Ecuador. The Spaniards left behind them 
well-established cacao plantations — or cacao walks, as 
they were then called — in Jamaica, and the cultivation of 
the plant spread rapidly to the other islands. At the present 
time the cacao industry has reached such dimensions in 
Trinidad that it is more important in that island than sugar, 
while in Grenada it has ousted sugar almost entirely, only 
sufficient of the latter commodity being now grown there to 
meet local requirements. In Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Tobago 
its cultivation is extending very rapidly. The average annual 
exports of cacao from the West Indies are now approximately 
as follows : Trinidad 26,000 tons, Santo Domingo 21,000 tons, 
Grenada 6,000 tons, Haiti 3,500 tons, Jamaica 3,500 tons, 
Cuba 1,600 tons, St. Lucia 1,000 tons, and Dominica 600 tons. 

The cacao plant (called by Linnaeus Theobroma, the food 
of the gods) is an evergreen which grows to the height of 15 
to 30 feet, with bright-pointed leaves from 8 to 20 inches long. 
The flowers and fruit, which it bears at all seasons of the 
year, grow off the trunk and the thickest part of the branches 
with stalks only an inch in length. The fruit is a large 
five-celled pod from 7 to q£ inches in length and 3 to 4 in 
breadth, the colour varying from bright yellow to red and 
purple. Cacao plants in suitable positions begin to bear 
fruit in about the third or fourth year after they are planted ; 
but to strengthen the tree the flowers are cut off for the 
first few years, and as a general rule a cacao plantation 
does not begin to bear to any appreciable extent until its 
fifth year, the yield increasing gradually until its twelfth 
year. On some estates there are trees a hundred years old 
still producing, though on a reduced scale, the finest cacao. 
The principal crop begins in October and November, and 



452 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

continues till the end of April, while there is a smaller crop 
in June. The ripe pods are gathered with cutlasses and 
piled in heaps. These pods, which contain about i£ oz. 
of dried beans, are then broken and the beans are collected 
in baskets and removed to the " sweating " house, where the 
pulp which surrounds them is removed by the process of 
sweating or fermentation. The beans are packed closely 
together in boxes and covered with plantain leaves, and 
left for four days or a week, being, however, occasionally 
" turned over " during that time. Fermentation takes 
place, and the beans are then spread out on large flat trays 
called '■ barbecues " or " boucans." On these trays they 
are " danced," that is to say, the black labourers dance 
or trample on them in order to remove the dry pulp, and 
the beans are then dried in the sun. The boucans have 
sliding roofs, which are closed over them when, as is often 
the case in the middle of the day, the sun is too powerful, 
or when it comes on to rain. In some cases artificial drying 
apparatus is used. When the cacao is quite dry or " cured," 
it is shipped in bags, each bag containing roughly i£ cwt. 

THE BANANA INDUSTRY. The only British West Indian 
colonies from which bananas are now exported on a com- 
mercial scale are Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados. In 
Jamaica the industry has assumed enormous proportions, 
no fewer than 20,000,000 bunches being exported every year. 
The bulk of them go to the United States, and the develop- 
ment of the trade has been almost entirely due to American 
enterprise and capital. Many years ago the late Captain 
Baker, commander of a schooner trading between Jamaica 
and America, was in the habit of taking back to his native 
town a few bunches of bananas. He found that they stood 
the journey so well, and were so much appreciated by his 
friends, that he decided to extend a business in this direction ; 
and from such small beginnings has arisen the United 
Fruit Company, with its large fleet of steamers, one or 
more of which sail from Jamaica nearly every day to 
American ports with a full complement of bananas. 

The industry received an impetus in 1900, when the 
Imperial Direct West India Mail Service Company was 
formed and granted a subsidy of £40,000 per annum for 



SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 453 

ten years to buy and carry 20,000 bunches of bananas 
every week from Jamaica to the United Kingdom. At 
first grave doubts were expressed as to whether it would be 
possible to bring the fruit successfully and in good con- 
dition to Avonmouth, Bristol, the terminal port, but with 
their characteristic enterprise Messrs. Elder, Dempster and 
Co., the owners of the line above referred to, overcame all 
difficulties, and installed Messrs. J. and E. Hall's cool-air 
system in each of their ships, with the result that the 
quantity of fruit lost on each voyage was infinitesimal. 
An increasing demand- for Jamaica bananas in the mother 
country has developed with surprising rapidity, and a 
company known as Messrs. Elders and Fyffes now have no 
fewer than thirteen vessels bringing fruit to England 
from Jamaica and Central and South America as fast as 
it can be carried. 

The Jamaica banana, which is the variety known as the 
Gros Michel, is cut when it is about three-quarters full, 
and consequently tourists must not expect to see the fruit 
growing on the trees in Jamaica of the familiar yellow colour, 
but quite green. In the United States the Jamaica banana 
is preferred to the smaller dwarf banana, commonly known 
as the Canary banana (Musa Cavendishii), which is grown 
in Barbados, though the latter is, perhaps, more popular 
in England, the reason probably being that the British 
public have become accustomed to the fruit from the 
Canary Islands, which had been imported for many years 
before the Jamaica variety was introduced. The two kinds 
of bananas were existing in the West Indies when Pere 
Labat visited the islands in 1696. The larger species was 
known as the " bananier " and the small as the " figuier." 
He tasted both, but preferred the latter, which he described 
as " amie de la poitrine." Unlike the Jamaica variety, 
which grows to a height of 20 feet, the Barbados banana-tree 
does not exceed 10 or 12 feet. From Trinidad the principal 
kind of banana exported is the red or claret banana, which 
is every year becoming better known in this country. 
Bananas require great heat, moisture, and a rich soil, 
with good drainage and high tillage. The cost of planting 
an acre in this fruit on land which, without high cultiva- 



454 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

tion, would have otherwise produced nothing, has been given 
by Mr. William Cradwick as follows : 

i s. d. 

per acre 





i s. 


d. 


Forking first time 


3 o 





Suckers 


14 





Draining 


S 





Forking second time 


2 





Weeding twice 


1 






£11 14 o 

The banana-tree, it may be explained, is cultivated from 
suckers which spring from the root when the tree is cut 
down and the fruit gathered. The tree, which only carries 
one bunch, takes about twelve months to reach the stage 
at which the fruit is fit to be gathered for markets across 
the sea. The bunches before they are shipped are checked 
as to size, a full-sized or " straight " bunch having at least 
nine hands, or groups of from fifteen to twenty " fingers " 
each, on it, and these of course fetch the highest price. 
Bunches of bananas, when mature, weigh 40 to 60 lb. each, 
and it is surprising to see how easily the black women pick 
them up and carry them on board ship on their heads, 
though it must be admitted that after earning a living wage 
the labourers appear to find their task irksome and require 
a considerable amount of encouragement. 

THE COTTON INDUSTRY. About a century ago the 
West Indies were the chief source of Great Britain's cotton 
supply ; but cultivation extended rapidly in America, and 
prices fell to such a low level that the West Indian planters 
found it more profitable to turn their attention to sugar 
and other crops, and Carriacou, a dependency of Grenada, 
was the only island which continued to produce it. In 
1 90 1 a serious shortage in the American cotton crop was 
followed by wild speculation, and prices rose very rapidly. 
There was a serious cotton famine in Lancashire, and the 
British Cotton Growing Association was formed in Man- 
chester to promote the growth of cotton in British dominions 
and consequently to render Great Britain less dependent 
on foreign countries for its cotton supply. To the credit 
of the West Indian planters be it said, they very readily 
experimented with cotton seed imported from the United 



SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 455 

States, and, with the help of the Imperial Department of 
Agriculture, the cotton industry has been successfully re- 
established in Barbados, St. Vincent, Antigua, St. Kitts, 
Nevis, and Montserrat, to the soil and climate of which the 
Sea Island variety — a native of the first-mentioned island; 
as its name, Gossypium barbadense, implies — seems to be 
particularly well adapted. This cotton differs from the 
upland cotton, which forms the bulk of the crop produced 
in America, in that it has a longer fibre or staple and is used 
for a different purpose, such as making Brussels lace, 
chiffon, and other delicate fabrics, as well as fine gloves, 
handkerchiefs, and sewing-cotton. Moreover, it commands 
a much higher price, namely, i2d. to 40^. per lb., as com- 
pared with $d. to 6d. for ordinary cotton. 

While it is not possible that the West Indian cotton 
industry can prove the salvation of Lancashire, which must 
depend on a steady supply of cheaper cotton, the West 
Indies should at least be able to supply as much Sea 
Island cotton — for which the demand is somewhat limited 
— as may be required. It is hoped that some day a 
cheaper variety may be found suitable for British Guiana, 
and that some of the undeveloped 99,000 square miles of 
the " Magnificent Province " may help to supply the raw 
material for the Lancashire looms. It is estimated that 
in 19 1 3 there were 15,500 acres under cotton cultivation 
in the West Indies, the quantity of lint exported being 
approximately 6000 bales annually. There is still, however, 
room for a considerable extension of production. 

Cotton is planted in August and September, just before 
the rains, in order thatxiry weather may be obtained during 
the period in which the crop is picked. It is best planted 
20 inches apart, in rows which are 5 feet apart, four seeds being 
planted in each hole, 6 lb. of seed per acre being thus used. 
As soon as the plants are a fortnight old, the weakest ones 
are pulled out, leaving the two strongest in each hole, and 
a fortnight later the weaker of the two remaining plants 
is removed. This is the critical period, as heavy rains or 
high winds may damage, if not ruin, the crop. The picking 
is conducted by men, women, and children, and expert 
labourers are able to pick about 100 lb. of seed -cotton per 



456 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 

day. They hold the boll firmly with the left hand and 
remove the seed-cotton with the right, the price usually 
paid for this operation being ^d. to \&. per lb. gathered. The 
cotton is then sunned until it is thoroughly dry, any 
that is stained and immature bolls being removed, and any 
cotton which has fallen to the ground and got mixed with earth 
or sand is "whipped," a process which consists in striking 
handfuls of seed-cotton with a whipping motion on wire 
netting. The seed-cotton is then conveyed to the ginnery. 

The first ginnery to be erected since the reintroduction 
of the cotton industry was established in St. Lucia in iqoi, 
and now there are ginneries in each of the principal cotton- 
growing islands. The ginning factories usually contain 
three storeys. On entering the factory the cotton is weighed 
and hoisted to the top floor or cotton loft. In this the 
cotton is temporarily stored and spread out to dry ; it is 
then passed to the gins in the second storey by means of 
shoots passing through the floor, directly over the gins. 
The labourers at work in the loft, filling the shoots, have 
also to pick out any motes or discoloured cotton that may 
have escaped the pickers and assorters. As soon as the 
gins are started, the feeders take the cotton from the shoots 
through a small hinged door, which can easily be shut in 
case of fire. On the seed-cotton being fed to the gins, the 
lint is separated from the seed. The former passes over a 
leather roller and drops on to an endless conveyor, while the 
seed falls through the grids on to an inclined plane, and 
passes through the floor to the lowest storey. While the 
lint is on the conveyor, any motes or other impurities are 
watched for and picked out. From the conveyor the lint 
is taken to the baling-room, where it is baled under pressure. 
It is then ready for shipment. In the lowest room the seed 
is stored for planting the next season's crop, for feeding 
the animals, or for making manure. 

THE RUBBER AND BALATA INDUSTRIES. The 
rubber industry is still in its infancy in the British West 
Indies, which suffered in company with other parts of the 
world from the attentions of the unscrupulous company 
promoter during the rubber boom of 1910. Much steady 
development work has, however, been proceeding, and the 



SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 457 

visitor can now inspect thriving rubber plantations in 
Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, and 
British Guiana. In the last named colony a nourishing 
balata industry exists. Balata is a gutta-percha-like 
substance which is tapped from a forest tree known as the 
Bullet tree or Mimusops globosa. It is used for insulating 
purposes, and also in the manufacture of belting and boots 
and shoes. Expeditions start periodically to the interior 
to collect the substance. The tapping of balata trees is 
done with the cutlass, incisions being made not more than 
1 \ inches wide, about 10 inches apart, in a " feather-stitch " 
pattern up the trunks of the trees. The latex runs in zig- 
zags from cut to cut into a calabash at the base of the tree. 
The latex is collected from the calabashes into gourds 
(goobees) and then it is taken to the camp, where it is 
poured into shallow trays (dabrees) that hold from 5 to 30 
gallons. The latex coagulates in these trays and the 
balata is taken off in sheets, dried and despatched to town 
for transhipment. The labourers are paid by results 
according to the amount of balata collected. 



CHAPTER XIX 
CONCLUDING REMARKS 

Agriculture and Commerce : News and the Press : The 
Homeward Voyage 

Visitors who decide to settle or to take up land in the 
West Indies have the advantage of being able to obtain 
advice from the official Agricultural Departments which 
exist in British Guiana and all the islands of con- 
sequence. There is unfortunately a lack of uniformity 
and cohesion about these organisations. Thus the active 
operations of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, 
founded in 1 898 as the outcome of the recommendations of 
the Royal Commission of the preceding year, are at present 
confined to the Windward and Leeward Islands. British 
Guiana has its own Board of Agriculture, Barbados and 
Jamaica Departments of Agriculture, Trinidad its Board 
of Agriculture and Agricultural Society, and Grenada its 
Agricultural Board, which works in close co-operation with 
the Imperial Department of Agriculture. Each colony has 
besides the above-named organistations, agricultural and 
commercial bodies which are always glad to afford informa- 
tion to prospective settlers and to visitors and capitalists 
desirous of becoming acquainted with its agricultural and 
industrial prospects. 

In addition, each colony has a Permanent Exhibition 
Committee, as the outcome of a suggestion made by the 
writer subsequent to the Colonial Exhibition of 1905. 
These Committees make arrangements for the representation 
of the colonies at various exhibitions in different parts of 
the world. In dealing with the agricultural and commercial 
bodies, mention must be made of the West India Committee 
(15 Seething Lane, London, E.C.), which is the doyen of 

458 , _ .. . 



CONCLUDING REMARKS 459 

such institutions, having been founded early in the 
eighteenth century. The West India Committee, which 
was granted a Charter of Incorporation by his late Majesty 
King Edward VII on August 4, 1904, has correspondents in 
British Guiana, British Honduras, and in each of the islands. 
Its objects are by united action to promote the interest of 
the industries and trade, and thus increase the general wel- 
fare of the British West Indies, British Guiana, and British 
Honduras . There are also West India Associations in Liver- 
pool (3 Cook Street) and Glasgow (134 Wellington Street). 

Among other West Indian institutions must be mentioned 
the West Indian Club, established in 1898, with premises 
at 4 Whitehall Court, and the West Indian Produce Associ- 
ation (i4CreechurchLane, London, E.C.), where every kind 
of West Indian produce can be obtained. It should interest 
American visitors to know that the last named organisation, 
which enjoys Royal patronage, is incorporated with Davison, 
Newman and Co., a firm established as far back as 1650, 
which according to tradition supplied some of the tea for 
the " Boston Tea Party." 

Visitors to the British West Indies and British Guiana, 
and most other places mentioned in these pages, are kept 
informed as to events in the outside world by the cabled 
bulletins of general news which are issued every evening by 
the cable companies. In the larger colonies these are 
published in the daily papers, and they also appear in such 
newspapers as are available in the smaller islands. 

The Imperial Department of Agriculture, of which the 
headquarters are at Bridgetown, Barbados, issues the 
Agricultural News, a fortnightly journal devoted to agri- 
culture, and a quarterly Bulletin. The Botanical Depart- 
ments of Jamaica and Trinidad also issue agricultural and 
scientific Bulletins periodically, and for those interested in 
West Indian affairs generally there is the fortnightly West 
India Committee Circular, the official organ of the West 
India Committee. 

The patient reader of this Pocket Guide having now 
been taken through the Bermudas, British Guiana and 
British Honduras, and the West Indian islands, and 
introduced to their industries, nothing remains to be 



4<3o POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES 
added except, perhaps, a few words regarding the 
homeward voyage. Though " Home," as the West 
Indian always calls the Mother Country, whether he has 
visited it or not, has its magic attraction for Creole, 
colonist, and tourist alike, the return voyage, which might 
be expected to be fraught with more enjoyment than the 
outward, is not to be compared with it for conviviality. 
The spirits of those on board the homeward steamer fall 
with the thermometer, the result being that, as the ship 
nears port, dances, sports, and kindred amusements are less 
freely resorted to. In an earlier chapter a note of warning 
was sounded as to the necessity of keeping in reserve an 
adequate supply of warm clothing and wraps for the home- 
ward journey, and this it is very desirable to reiterate. 
When he is in the West Indies, the tales of their climate in 
the old days lose their terror for the tourist. The case is 
altered, and it is upon the dear old mother country that he 
begins to look with suspicion, a suspicion which is fostered 
by the reports of influenza and sickness which reach him 
during his travels. Let him then wrap up well, and 
remember that what he could do in the tropics he cannot 
do coming up the Channel in the teeth of a north-easterly 
gale. The tourist will doubtless bring back with him 
many souvenirs of places visited, such as lace-bark d'oyleys, 
stuffed flying-fish, sugar-canes, pottery, bitter cups (made 
of quassia wood, which instantly renders water put in them 
as bitter as can be) from Barbados ; cleverly stuffed 
alligators, Indians' bead aprons and brilliantly plumed 
head-dresses from British Guiana ; lace-bark whips, 
walking-sticks, pottery, and a hundred and one fairings 
from Jamaica ; delicately woven Arima baskets and fans, 
Indian coolie jewellery, balata models and calabashes from 
Trinidad ; liquorice seed purses and bags from Antigua ; 
stuffed " crapauds " or frogs and sawyer beetles from 
Dominica ; and possibly a bottled Fer-de-lance snake 
from St. Lucia, to mention only a few of the articles more 
commonly purchased. But he will not require the help of 
these to remind him of his visit to the exquisitely beautiful 
Islands of the West, the impression of which will never fade 
from his memory. 



INDEX 



Abaco, 74, 76 

Abbot's Bay, 65 

Abercromby, Sir Ralph, 215, 232, 

250, 266, 281, 402 
Abergavenny, H.M.S. , 177 
Aboukir, H.M.S., 182 
Accompong, 197 
Ackawois Indians, 42 
Acklin Island, 74 
Adam Island, 246 
Agar's Island, 66 
Agatash, 127 
Aguacate, 395 
Agualta Vale, 176 
Aibonito, 403 
Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of, 43, 240, 

266, 281, 339 
Akyma, 143 
Alarm, the, 215 
Albany, 166 
Albemarle, Duke of, 78 
Albemarle, Lord, 382, 386 
Albert of Wales, Prince, 228 
Albert Victor, Prince, 62, 232,234, 

258 
Alleyne, the late Hon. F. M., 112 
Alligator Pond, 167 
All Souls, Oxford, 108 
Allspice, or pimento, 158 
Almond Walk, the, 223 
Amatuk, 146 
Amazon, The, 128 
Amerigo Vespucci, 128 
Ames, Place des, 223 
Amiens, Peace of, 130, 215, 240, 266, 
Amity Hall, 201 
Amsterdam, New, 141 
Anchovy, 165 
Ancon, 438 
Andros Island, 74, 75, 76 



Anegada, 351, 352 
Angostura Bitters, 212 
Anguilla, 331-332 
Animal Flower Cave, the, 123 
Anne, Princess, 315 
Annotto Bay, 191 
Anopheles Mosquito, 6 
Anstey, Rev. A. H., 107 
Antiglia, 1 
Antigua, 294-308 

Climate, 295 

Clubs, 299 

Communication, Means of, 299 

Constitution, 297 

Financial Position, 295 

General Aspect, 294 

History, 296 

Hotels, 298 

Industries of, 295 

Parishes of, 294 

Principal Sights ,299 

Sports, 299 
Antilla, 1 

Antilla, Cuba, 385, 398 
Antilles, 1 
Antoine Lake, 260 
Apodaca, Admiral, 215 
Apostles battery, 168 
Appleton, 165 
Aquarium, Bermuda, 65 
Arakaka, 144 
Arawaks, 42, 195, 368 
Arecibo River, 400 
Arecunas, 42 
Argyle Estate, 292 
Argyle River, 278 
Arima, 212, 2x9, 234 
Arms of Jamaica, 189 
Arno's Vale, 292 
Arouca, 219 



461 



462 



INDEX 



Arrete, 391 

" Arrow" of Sugar Canes, 140 

Arrowroot Mill, 284 

Artemisia, 396 

Aruba, 378 

Asphalt Co. , the NewTrindad Lake, 

2 34 
Aspinall pan, the, 448 
Aspinwall, W. H., 429, 433 
" Assiento," the, 43 
Assistant, H.M. Brig, 283 
Atares, 387 

Atherton, Gertrude, 329 
Atkinson, George, 302 
Atlantis, 32 
Auilabou River, 281 
Austin, Bishop, 138, 139 
" Ave Maria," see Cuba 
Ayscue, Sir G. , 90 
Azores, the, 31-33 

Baal, Robert, 424 
Bacchante, the, 62, 232, 234, 238 
Bacolet I, 246 

Bacon, sculptor, 187, 189, 196 
Bahamas, the, 74-85 

Climate, tj 

Clubs, 80 

Communication, Means of, 79 

Constitution, 78 

Financial Position, 76 

General Aspect, 74 

History, 77 

Hotels, 79 

Industries, 75 

Sights, 80 

Sports, 80 
Baijer, Bastien, 302 
Baijer, Otto, 302 
Bailey's Bay, 69 
Baily, E. H., 170 
Bains Jaunes, 359 
Baker, Captain, 4^2 
" Bakers " Masonic Lodge, 301 
Balaclava, Jamaica, 162, 164, 165 
Balata industry, 127, 456 
Balata, La, 360 
Balboa, 441 

Balboa, V. N. de, 416, 428, 441 
Baleine, Falls of, 292 
" Ballast Ground," the, 254 
Balliceaux, 279 
Banana industry, 452 
Bande de l'Est, 236 
*' Bang, Aaron," 174, 371 



Banks : 

Colonial Bank, 11, 222 

Nova Scotia, 11, 171 

Royal Bank of Canada, 11, 12, 
222 
Banks, Sir Joseph, 285 
Bannister, Major-Gen. James, 189 
Barabara, the, 274 
Barbados, 86-124 

Climate, 88 

Clubs, 95 

Colleges and Schools, 101 

Communication, Means of, 92 

Constitution, 91 

Financial Position, 88 

General Aspect of, 86 

Government House, 101 

History of, 89 

Hotels, 91 

Industries, 87 

Parishes, 87 

Principal Sights, 95 

Railway, 93 

Sports, 94 
Barbados Mutual Bidg., 96 
Barbecues, 452 
Barbuda, 294, 308-311 
Bar de l'isle, 273 
Barfleur, the, 349 
Barima River, 144 
Barlovento, Islas de, 1 
Barouallie, 283, 291, 293 
Barranquilla, 423 
Barrett, Lucas, 180 
Barrington, Admiral, 273 
Barrington Brown, 144 
Barrington Fort, 336 
Barrow, Lieut. Charles M. , 307 
Bartica, 127, 144 
Basle, Treaty of, 411 
Bas Obispo, 428, 435 
Basse Terre, Guadeloupe, 356. 358 
Basseterre Roads, 315, 318 
Basseterre, St. Kitts, 312, 317 
Bassin, 374 
Bassinville, 337, 348 
Bastidas, Rodrigo, 424, 428 
Bastien, Dr., 195 
Batabano, 385, 399 
Bath House, Nevis, 326, 327 
Bath of St. Thomas, 162, 200 
Bathsheba, 109 
Bath Station, Barbados, 107 
Battowia, 279 
Bay leaf, the, 368 



INDEX 



463 



Bayly, Zachary, 180 
Baynes, Edward, 334 
Bay Town, 255 
Beckett, Peter, 284 
Beckford, Peter, 189 
Beckwith, Lieut. -Gen, Sir G., 

98 
Beckwith Place, 96 
Beeston, Sir William, 169, 180 
Belair, 293 
Belize, 153 
Bellamar Caves, 395 
Belle Vue. 307 
Bell of Port Royal, the, 76 
Bell, Sir H. Hesketh, 290, 348 
Belvidere Estate, Grenada, 247 
Benab, the, in Barbados, no 
Benbow, Admiral, 173, 180 
Bendal's Stream, 294, 296 
Benders, 372 
Ben Lomond, 154 
Bennett, George, 180 
Bently, Adjutant, 231 
Bequia, 279 

Berbice, Colony of, 129 
Berbice River, the, 126 
Berkeley, Memorial, 317 
Berkshire Hill, 288 
" Bermoothes," the, 55, 59 
Bermudas, 55-73 
Climate, 58 

Communication, Means of, 60 
Constitution, 59 
Financial Position, 57 
General Aspect, 55 
History, 58 
Hotels, 60 
Industries, 56 
Island Steam Service, 61 
Parishes, 56 
Principal Sights, 62 
Sports, 61 
Bermudez, 58 
Bernard, Rev. T. C, 302 
Berry Islands, the, 74 
Beverages, 8 

Bieques Island, see Vieques 
Big River Falls, 243 
Biminis, the, 74 

Bindley, Archdeacon T. H. , 107 
Bird Island, 246 
Bishop, Hon. W., 99 
Bitter wood, 158 
Blackbeard's Castle, 370, 371 
Blackbeard's Well, 81 



97. 



Black River, 157, 162, 164, 167 

Black Rocks, 322 

Black's Point, 306 

Black Virgin, the, 232 

Blake, James, 193 

Blake, Sir Henry, 161 

Blanchisseuse, 220 

Bligh, Captain William, 285 

Blome, Richard, 120, 312, 317, 028 

Blomfield, Sir A., 138 

Blue Basin, the, 228 

Bluebeard's Castle, 370, 371 

Blue Hills, 202 

Blue Hole 70, 191 

Blue Mountain Peak, Jamaica, 184 

Blue Mountains, Jamaica, the, 168 

Blue Mountain, St. Croix, 374 

Boaz Island, 56, 63, 66 

Boca Chica, 420 

Boca del Sierpe, 211, 214 

Boca Grande, 420 

Bocas del Dragone, 211 

Bodden, Capt. S. E., 209 

Boddentown, 207, 209 

Body Ponds, The, 296 

Boers in Bermuda, 67 

Bogue Islands, the, 197 

Bog Walk, 166, 190 

Boiling Lake, the, 347 

Bois Immortel, the, 232 

Bolivar Plaza, 426 

Bolivar, Simon, 416, 426 

Bonaire, 378 

Bonaparte, 411, 443 

Bonda, 425 

Bonne Esp6rance, 372 

Booby Island, 312 

Books on West Indies, 49- 54 

Boqueron, 398 

Borde, Mr. Hippolite, 223 

Boreas, the 305, 329, 350 

Borinquen, 401 

Botanical Gardens : 

British Guiana, 139 

Dominica, 345 

Grenada, 256 

Guadeloupe, 358 

St. Kitts, 319 

St. Lucia, 269 

St. Vincent, 226, 284, 285 

Tobago, 243 

Trinidad, 226 

Virgin Islands, 355 
Botanical Station, Tobago, 243 
Botanic Station, Grenada, 256 



464 



INDEX 



Bottom, 377 

Boucans, 452 

Bounties, Sugar, 442 

Bounty, the, 285 

Bowerbank, Dr., 175 

" Bovianders," 143 

Bovoni, 372 

Bowmanston Waterworks, 105 

Boyce, Sir Rubert, 212 

Boyer, General, 411 

Brasso Caparo, 219 

Brea, La, 218, 234 

" Brea," Tierra de, 214 

Breda, Peace of, 314 

Breda, the, 173 

Brettes, Mr. Charles de, 276 

Brickdam, 141 

Bridges, Sir Tobias, 240 

Bridgetown, Barbados, 96 

Brigands' War, 249, 281 

Briggs, Sir Graham, 123 

Briggs, Thomas, 177 

Brighton Estate, St. Kitts, 313, 322 

Brighton Pier, Trinidad, 234, 235 

Brighton, Trinidad, 234 

Brimstone Hill, 319 

Brisbane, Sir Charles, 284 

Bristol, the, 174 

British Cotton Growing Assn. , 454 

British Guiana, 125-148 

Climate, 128 

Clubs, 135 

Communication, Means of, 131 

Constitution, 130 

Financial Position, 127 

General Aspect, 125 

History, 128 

Hotels, 130 

Industries, 126 

Principal Sights, 135 

Sports, 135 
British Honduras, 148-155 

Climate, 150 

Communication, Means of, 151 

Constitution, 151 

Financial Position, 149 

General Aspect, 148 

History, 150 

Hotels, 151 

Industries, 149 

Principal Sights, 153 

Sports, 152 
Broadway, Trinidad, 223 
Brodbelt, Dr. , 189 
Broke, Capt. P. V., 67 



Broken Ridge, 149 

Broome, Sir Napier, 216 

Bromley, Sir Robert, Bart., 316 

Brothers Road, 219 

Browne, G. G., 260 

Browne, Hon. C. M., 260 

Browne, James, 260 

Brown's, St. Thomas, 372 

Brown's Town, 162, 192 

Bruce, Morne, 345 

Bruce, Robert George, 350 

Bruce, Sir Charles, 250, 255 

Brunswick Square, 223 

Brussels Convention, the, 443 

Bryan Castle, 192 

Buccament Valley, 293 

Buccaneers, 78, 160, 236, 410, 416, 

424 
Buccoo Reef, 243 
Buckingham, Marchioness of, 183 
" Bucks," 143 
Buena Vista, 394 
Buff Bay, 166, 184 
Buff River, 184 
Bulkeley Estate, 94 
Bull Bay, 200 
Bull, John, 176 
Bull Ring, 426 
Burnaby's Laws, 151 
Bush, the, British Guiana, 142 
Bushy Park, 165 
Buxton, 132, 141 
Byera River, 281 

Cabanas, 387 

Cabbage Palms, 7, 108, 140, 317 

Cabildo, the, 215 

Cable Companies, 39 

Cable Office, Barbados, 97 

Cartagena, 421 

Castries, 237 

Fort de France, 362 

Kingston, 170 
Cabrits, the, 337 
Cacao, see Cocoa 
Cagigar, Capt.-Gen., 391 
Caicos Island, see Turk and Caicos 
Caimanera, 398 
Calamar, 421 
Caldecott, Rev. A., 107 
California, Trinidad, 219 
Caliviny Island, 246 
Calliaqua, 287, 292 
Calliope, H.M.S., 365 
Camacho, Hon. J. }., 303 



INDEX 



465 



Camagiiey, 385, 397 
Camaria Falls, 144 
Camber, the, Bermuda, 66 
Cambridge, Jamaica, 165, 195 
Camelford, Lord, 305 
Camelo, Ferdinando, 58, 73 
Cameron, His Honour E. J., 206, 

267, 282, 354 
Campbell, Brig.-Gen., 260 
Campbell, Sir John, 284 
Campo Marte, 390 
Canada, H.M.S. , 307 
Canada, Reciprocity with, 445 
Canal Zone, the Panama, 427, 431 
Canaries Mountain, the, 262 
Cane Farmers, 233 
Cane Garden Point, 279 
Canigou, 275 
Canimar River, 396 
" Canisters," 28 
Canje Creek, 141 
Canouan, 279 
Caparo, 219 
Capedevilla, 393 
Capoey Lake, 142 
Caracas, 415, 426 
Caracas, L. de, 426 
Carapichaima, 219 
Carbet, Pitons of, 360 
Carcel, Havana, 392 
Cardenas, 385, 396 
Carenage, Grand, Carriacou, 261 
Carenage, Grenada, the, 254 
Carenage, Grenada, Plan of, 253 
Carenage, St. Lucia, 269 
Carenage Town, Grenada, 255 
Carenage, Trinidad, 228 
Carib Canal, the, 278 

Country, 278, 281 

Settlement, Dominica, 350 

Stones, 293 
Caribs, 239, 248, 265, 279, 280, 289, 
291, 308,314, 340, 368 

Black, 280 

Massacre of, 260 

Yellow, 280 
Carlisle Bay, 34 
Carlisle's Estate, 303 
Carlisle, the Earl of, 89, 265, 280, 

296, 325, 339 
Carmichael Smith, Sir J. , 83 
Carnegie, Mr. Andrew, 137, 283, 343 
Carolina, 404 
Caroni, 219 
Caroni River, 212 . 



Carriacou, 246, 252, 261 

Carrick, the Earl of, 150 

Carrington, Barbados, 94 

Carrington, Dr. John W., 276 

Cartabu, 144 

Cartagena, 415, 416, 419-423 

Carter, Lady, 99 

Carter, Sir Gilbert, 79, 91 

Carupano, 425 

Cascadura Fish, 6 

Cassada Garden, 299, 308 

Cassareep, 8 

Casselberry, Dr., 80 

Castle Grotto, 76 

Castafion, G. , 392 

Castellani, C, 59 

Castilla de Oro, 416, 428 

Castillo de Jagua, 396 

Castleton Cottages, 162, 184 

Castleton Gardens, 183 

Castries, St. Lucia, 262, 269 

Castries, Marshal de, 269 

Catadupa, 165 

Cathcait's tomb, Lord, 350 

Catherine Fort, Bermuda, 62 

Catherine Hall, 197 

Catherine's Peak, 184, 185 

Cat Island, 74 

Causeway, the, 70 

Cavalries, 287 

Cave Earth, 75 

Cave, Mr. C. J. P., 123 

Cayey, 407 

Cayman Islands, 206-209 

Climate, 208 

Communication, Means of, 209 

Constitution, 208 

Financial Position, 207 

General Aspect, 206 

History, 208 

Industries, 207 

Principal Sights, 209 
Cayo Carenas, 396 
Cedar Avenue, Bermuda, 65 
Cedros, 218 
Ceiba Mocha, 395 
Centaury H.M.S. , 277 
Centrifugals, 450 
Cerro de Aripo, 212 
Cervera, Admiral, 383, 386, 397 
Chacachacare, 211, 218, 236 
Chacon, Don Josef M., 215, 232 
Chagres, 440 
Chagres River, 427 
Chaguanas, 219 ■ 



466 



INDEX 



Chaguaramas Bay, 215, 236 

Chalky Mount, 109 

Challenger, H.M.S., Voyage q£, 55 

Chamberlain, M.P., Rt. Hon. J., 
318 

Champion, Major, 284 

Chances Mountain, 335 

Chantrey, 224 

Chapeau Carr6, 246 

Charaibes, see Caribs 

Charles Fort, Jamaica, 182 

Charles I, King, 89, 239, 265 

Charles II, King, 183, 300 

Charles V, 425 

Charles Square, 197 

Charlestown, 326 

Charlotte Amalia, 367, 370 

Charlotte Fort, 82, 85 

Charlotte Town, 249, 259 

Charlotteville, 241 

Chase Vault, the, 112 

Chateaubelair, 291, 292 

Chatoyer, 281 

Chauncey, H., 429, 433 

Cheere, John, 180 

Cheere, Sir Henry, 108, 180 

Cherry Tree Hill, 123 

Chesapeake and Shannon, 67 

Chicle, 149 

Chinese Immigration, 45 

Chinese Quarter, Georgetown, 140 

Choiseul, Due de, 275 

Choiseul, St. Lucia, 268, 275 

Christ Church, Barbados, 99, 112 

Christian V, 370 

Christiansted, 374 

Churches : 
All Saints, Barbados, 122 
All Saints, Berbice, 141 
Calabar, Kingston, 175 
Cathedral, Antigua, 301 
Cathedral, Barbados, 99, 112 
Cathedral, Bermuda, 64 
Cathedral, B. Guiana, 138 
Cathedral, Cartagena, 421 
Cathedral, Catholic, Dominica, 

345 
Cathedral, Havana, 394 
Cathedral, Panama, 438 
Cathedral, Santo Domingo, 414 
Cathedral, Spanish Town, 

Jamaica, 188 
Christ Church, Barbados, 100, 112 
Coke Chapel, 175 
Fig Tree, Nevis, 329 



Churches — continued 

Greyfriars Presbyterian, Trini- 
dad, 224 
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Trini- 
dad, 224 
Holy Trinity, St. Lucia, 270 
La Merced, Camaguey, 397 
La Merced, Havana, 394 
La Soled ad, 397 
Middle Island, St. Kitts, 323 
Parish Church, Falmouth, 193 
Parish Church, Kingston, 172 
Parish Church, Sav.-la-Mar, 195 
R. Catholic Cathedral, B. Guiana, 



[39 



Mar- 



R. Catholic Cathedral, 

tinique, 362 
R. Catholic Cathedral, Roseau, 

344 
R. Catholic, St. Lucia, 270 
R. Catholic Cathedral, Trinidad, 

222 
St. Andrew, Halfway Tree, 179 
St. Andrew's, B. Guiana, 139 
St. Anne's, St. Kitts, 322 
St. Anthony's, Montserrat, 335 
St. George's, Antigua, 307 
St. George's, Barbados, 118 
St. George's, B. Guiana, 138 
St. George's, Dominica, 344 
St. George's, Grenada, 256 
St. George's, Kingstown, 175, 283 
St. George's, Roseau, 344 
St. George's, St. Kitts, 319 
St. George's, St. Vincent, 283 
St. James', Barbados, 121 
St. James', Montego Bay, 195 
St. John's, Barbados, 104 
St. Mary's, Barbados, 97 
St. Mary's, Montserrat, 335 
St. Michael's, Jamaica, 175 
St. Patrick, Montserrat, 335 
St. Paul's, Antigua, 307 
St. Paul's, Nevis, 326 
St. Peter's, Bermuda, 73 
St. Peter's, Jamaica, 183 
St. Thomas', Nevis, 330 
St. Thomas', St. Kitts, 323 
San Felipe Neri, Panama, 438 
San Jose", Panama, 438 
San Pedro Claver, Cartagena, 421 
Santa Ana, Panama, 438 
Santa Catalina, Havana, 394 
Santo Domingo, Havana, 394 
Santo Domingo, Panama, 438 



INDEX 



467 



Churches — continued 

Scotch Kirk, Kingston, 175 
Synagogue, Kingston, 175 
Wesley, Kingston, 178 

Churchill, J. S. , 316, 334 

Cibao, Santo Domingo, 414 

Cienfuegos, 385, 396 

Cinchona, 185 

Circus, the, 317 

City Commissioners' Offices, Trini- 
dad, 224 

Ciudad Bolivar, 221 

Clarence Cove, 65 

Clarence, Duke of, 305 

Clarence Hill, 65 

Clarence House, 305, 307 

Clarendon Park, 165 

Clarke, Mr. C. P., 101 

Clarke, Sir Robert B., 112 

Clarke, Sir Simon, 200 

Claxton Bay, 219 

Clifton, New Providence, 83 

Climate (see under different places) 

Climate of West Indies, 4 

Cobblers, the, in 

Cobre, Cuba, 398 

Cobre, Rio, 157, 185 

Cocal, the, 235 

Coche, 425 

Cochrane, Sir Alexander, 375 

Cockburn Harbour, 205 

Cockburn, SirF., 83 

Cockburn, Sir J., 65 

Cockpit Country, 197, 198 

Cockpit River, 194 

Cocktails, Recipe for, 9 

Cocoa Industry, 451 

Cocorico, 242 

Cocorite, 228 

Codrington, Christopher, 106 

Codrington College, 106 

Codrington Estate, 106 

Codrington Family, 308 

Codrington Village, 310 

Coffee, Blue Mountain, 158 

" Coffey" rum still, 450 

Coffin, Edward, 230 

Coffin Mystery, Barbados, 112- 117 

Cohune Ridges, 149 

Colbeck Castle, 194 

Colbeck, Colonel John, 189 

Coleridge, Bishop, 107, 141 

Cole's Cave, 1 19, 120 

Cole, Tennyson, 175 

College Estate, Barbados, 106 . 



College, Jamaica, The, 183 
Collet, W., 151 
Colleton, Sir Peter, 104 
Collings, Mr. Jesse, 169 
Collins, Rev. William, 173 
Colombia, Republic of, 429 
Colomer, Mr. Joaquim, 232 
Colon, 427, 432-434 
Colon Breakwater, 419 
Colon Cemetery, Cuba, 392 
Colon Park, Cuba, 390 
Colonial Hospital, St. Vincent, 284 
Colonial Hospital, Trinidad, 228 
Columbus, 77, 128, 150, 156, 159, 
208, 214, 223, 248, 265, 270, 280, 
29 6 > 3 J 4- 3 2 5- 333. 339- 357. 3 68 . 
374- 3 82 . 39i. 401, 410, 413, 424 

bones of, 391, 394, 414 

Diego, 160, 382 

Square, St. Lucia, 270 

Square, Trinidad, 222 

Statues of, 83, 223, 424, 434 
Comao, 402 

Combermere, Lord, 113 
Comins, Surgeon-Major, D.W.D., 

45 
Commerce Bight, 154 
Committee, The West India, 107, 

169, 285, 341, 458 
Commonwealth and Antigua, 297 

and Barbados, 90 
Compagnie du Canal de Panama, 

^ 43° 

Conceijo Municipal, 426 
Conception, 248 
Conchs, 7, 203 
Conference, Brussels, 443 
Conference Island, 246 
Congress, Canal, Paris, 430 
Conil, Mont, 360 
Conquerabia, 222 
Consett's Estate, 106 
Constanza Valley, 414 
Content Gap, 185 
Contract System, Cocoa, 238 
Convention, Brussels, 443 
Cookman, Mr. N. G., 354 
Cooper's Island, 56 
"Copey,"396 
Copper Wall, the 448 
Corentyn River, the, 126 
Corinth, Trinidad, 219 
Cork, P. C, 267 
Coropomeina, 424 
Corvo, 33 



468 



INDEX 



Cottage, Kingsley's, 226 

Cottley, C. T. , 99 

Cotton Factory, Antigua, 303 

Cotton Factory, Barbados, 100 

Cotton Ginnery, St. Vincent, 286 

Cotton Industry, 454 

Cotton Tower, Barbados, 104 

Country Club, Havana, 394 

Courland, James, Duke of, 237, 240 

Courlanders, 240 

Courteen, Sir William, 89, 121 

' ' Court House " Masonic Lodge, 301 

Court House, St. Kitts, 318 

Couva, 219 

Couva River, 212 

Cove, Don Christopher's, 192 

Cowell's Battery, 372 

Cox, Hon. Charles T., 316 

Cracroft, Commodore Peter, 180 

Cradwick, Mr. William, 454 

Craig, Mr. Cunningham, 87, 237 

Crane, the, no 

Crapaud, the, 8 

Craskell, 185 

" Crawls," Turtle, 207 

" Creole," the term, 46 

Cricket, see Sports 

"Cringle's Log, Tom," 174, 183, 

185, 371 
Cristobal, 433 
Cristophe, 411,413 
Crittenden, Col., 387 
Cromwell, Oliver, 45, 160, 190 
Crooked Island, 74 
Crooked Island Passage, 74 
Croquet, see Sports 
Cross, the Southern, 4 
Cruces, 440 
Cuba, 380-399 

Climate, 382 

Communication, Means of, 384 

Constitution, 383 

Financial Position, 381 

General Aspect , 380 

History, 382 

Hotels, 383 

Industries of, 381 

Principal Sights, 385 

Provinces, 381 
Cubagua, 425 
Cul de Sac Bay, 266, 274 
Cul de Sac River, 262 
Cul de Sac Valley, 273, 274 
Culebra Cut, 428, 435 
Culebra Island, 427 



Culebra, Porto Rico, 400 
Culpepper's Island, 112 
Cumberland Bay, 398 
Cumberland, Earl of, 402 
Cumuto, 219 
Cuna-Cuna Road, 201 
Cundall, Mr. Frank, 177, 192, 198 
Cunningham, Craig, Mr., 87, 237 
Cunupia, 219 
Curacao, 378-379 
Curios, 460 
Customs, the, 39 
Cuyuni River, the, 126 



Da AG A, 230 
Dabadie, 219 
Dalling, Elizabeth, 180 
Dalrymple, Major-General, 281 
Danish W. I. and Guiana Co. , 369 
Darell, Rev. J. H., 289 
Darien, 415, 428 
d'Aubignd, Francoise, 361 
D'Aumale, Due, 188 
Dauntless Island, 143 
Davers, Admiral, 180 
Davidson-Houston, Lt. -Col. W.B. , 

334 
Davis, C.M.G., Mr. N. Darnell, 101 
Davison, Newman & Co., 459 
Davis, Rt. Rev. Daniel G. , 326 
Davson, the late Sir Henry K., 142 
Dawlish Bounce, no 
Deane, Richard, 121 
de Avila, P. A. , 429 
D6be\ 219 
de Bellair, M. , 255 
de Bouille\ Marquis, 240, 272, 320, 

3 2I > 3 2 S> 34°. 378 
de Caillus, M. , 256 
de Cerillac, Count, 249 
Deck Chairs, 30 
De Crespigny, Augustus J., 183 
Deep Bay, Antigua, 300 

St. Kitts, 322 
de Espade, Don, J. J. D. , 392 
Defoe, 237 
De Grasse, Count, 187, 266, 315, 

318, 320, 340, 348, 359 
De Guichen, 350 
De Lesseps, 430 
Del Garno, Captain, 307 
Deliverance, 62 
Demerara, Colony of, 129 
Demerara Railway Co., the, 131 
Demerara River, the, 126, 143 






INDEX 



469 



Denmark Fort, 122 

Denmark, King of, 369 

Dennery, 273 

Dennery Factory, the, 274 

D'Ennery, Governor, 273 

de Ojeda, A. , 428 

de Oruna, St. Josef, 214 

de Orufia, Don Jose\ 230 

de Ponti, 416 

Department of Agriculture, the 

Imperial* 285, 458 
de Pass, E. A., 168 
Degrade, la, 359 
D'Esnambuc, 248, 272, 296, 314 
" Desolation," Valley of, 347 
Dessalines, General, 411 
d'Estaing, Count, 249, 257, 266, 272, 

273. 274 
D'Estrees, Count, 265 
Deveaux, Colonel, 78, 84 
Devil's Bridge, 308 
Devil's Hole, 69 
" Devil's Woodyard," the, 234 
Diablo Mount, 193 
Diablotin, Morne, 336 
Diademe, the, 349 
Diamant, Pointe du, 277 
Diamond Rock, the, 277, 366 
Diego Columbus, 160, 382 
Diego Velasquez, 382 
Diego Martin, 228 
Dieppe Bay, 322 
Dillon, Count, 249 
Direct W. I. Cable Co., 40 
Distances, tables of, 38, 39 
Doctor's Cave, 196 
" Doctor," the, 170 
Dod's Reformatory, 112 
" Dog hutch," 13 
Dogs, the, 331 
Dollars and Sterling Tables, end of 

book 
Dome, the, Montego Bay, 197 
Dominica, 336-351 

Climate, 339 

Club, 343 

Communication, Means of, 342 

Constitution, 341 

Financial Position, 339 

General Aspect, 336 

History, 339 

Hotels, 341 

Industries, 337 

Principal Sights, 343 

Sports, 343 



Don Christopher's Cove, 192 

Dorsetshire Hill, 292 

Doubloons, 10 

Dougaldston, 255 

Dougal, Mr. R. , 309 

Dow's Hill, 304 

Doyley, Colonel, 190, 192 

Dragon's Mouths, 211 

Drake, Sir Francis, 42,351, 402,416, 

418, 420, 424 
Drake's Channel, Sir Francis, 

35i 
Drake's Spit, 420 
Drayton, Edward, 341 
Drip Stone, Barbados, 8 
Drummer, 168 
Drummond, Colonel, 266 
Dry Harbour, 167, 192 
du Casse, Monsieur, 173 
Ducking Stool, 68 
Dudley, Lord, 169 
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 

34i 
Dulcina, 294 
Dundas, Governor, 283 
Dunlop, Brigadier-General, 307 
Dunmore, Lord, 8a, 84 
Dunscombe Gully, 123 
Du Parquet, 248, 249 
D' Urban, Sir B., 135 
Durham, Dean of, 100 
"Dust," May, 86,291 
Du Tertre, 260 
Duvalle\ 281 
D'Warris, Dr., 174 

Eagle House, 190 
Earl, Mr. R. S., 354 
Earthquake, Jamaica, 1907, 169, 

Port Royal, 1692, 180 
East Coast, Trinidad, 235 
East Indian Immigration, 44 
Eau de Dole, 359 
Edinboro' Bay, 287 
Edinburgh, Duke of, 63, 82, 123, 

228, 270 
Edward, King, 179, 225, 226 
Edwards, Bryan, 180, 192, 255 
Effingham, Earl and Countess of, 

189 
Egerton, Lady, 139 
Egerton, Sir W., 130 
Eight, Pieces of, 10 
El Caney, 397 
El Cayo, 153 



47© 



INDEX 



El Dorado, the, 129 

Electric Co., the Trinidad, 217 

Electric Co., Ltd., the W. I., 164 

Eleuthera, 74, 84 

Elgin, Lady, 189 

Elizabeth, Queen, 416 

Elliot, Capt. Charles, 64 

El Templete, 391 

El Tucuche,2i2 

El Yunque, 400 

Ernes, Lt. -Col., 344 

English Caye, 154 

English Harbour, 294, 304-307 

Enriquillo Lake, 414 

Episcopal Palace, Panama, 439 

Erin, 220 

Espagnola, see Haiti 

Espagnole Point, 281 

Esquemeling, 440 

Esquimel, 160 

Essequibo, Colony of, 129 

Essequibo River, the, 126, 143 

Essex Regt.'s Mount, 66 

Estremadura, 35', 

Estridge Estate, 322 

Etaballi Falls, 143 

Etang, the Grand, 245, 258 

Eugenie, Empress, 434 

Everard, Mount, 144 

Ewarton, 166, 192, 193 

Exhibition Committees, Permanent, 

458 
Expenses, 10 
Express Letters, 41 
Exuma, 74 
Exuma Cays, the, 85 

Fahie, Commodore, 306 

Falernum, 9 

Fallen Jerusalem, 352 

Falmouth, 167, 193, 200 

Falmouth Harbour, 294, 304 

Farfan Tomb, 231 

Farley Hill, 123 

Farquharson, General, 271 

Favourite, H.M.S., 305 

Fayal, 33 

F6don, Julien, 247, 249, 258 

F6don, Morne, 258 

F&don's Camp, 259 

" Fer-de-Lance," the, 276, 460 

Ferdinand and Isabella, 382, 406 

Ferguson, Mr., 226 

Fergusson, Sir James, 180 

Fernando VII, 392 






Fern Caves, 70 

Fern Gully, 192, 193 

Ferret, the, 178 

Ferry Boats in B. Guiana, 133 

Ferry, Iron, the, 185 

Field, Bishop, 65 

Fig Tree Hill, 304 

Fincastle Fort, 84 

Fitton, Lieut. Michael, 177 

Five Islands Bay, Antigua, 297 

Five Islands, Trinidad, 218, 228, 
236 

Flamenco Island, 427 

Flatt's Village, 63, 68 

Flaxman, 170, 200 

Flibustiers, 160 

Floating Dock, Bermuda, 66 

Floating Dock, the Trinidad, 236 

Floating Dock, St. Thomas, 370 

Flores, 33 

Florida, 1, 385 

Flushing, Zeelanders from, 239 

Flying Fish, 6, 34, 109 

Flying Fish Fleet, 109 

Fogo, Lake, 33 

Folly, the, 228 

Food, 6 

Foraker Bill, 403 

Formidable, the, 188, 349 

Fort de France, 360, 362 

Fort Royal, 362 

Fort Royal Bay, 349 

Fort Royal, Grenada, 255 

Forts : 
Amsterdam, Curacao, 379 
Augusta, Jamaica, 168 
Bairington, Antigua, 300 
Barrington, Montserrat, 336 
Catherine, Bermuda, 62 
Charles, Jamaica, 182 
Charlotte, Bahamas, 82, 85 
Charlotte, St. Vincent, 279, 288 
Charlotte, Virgin Islands, 355 
Cunningham, Bermuda, 71 
Denmark, Barbados, 122 
Dundas, Jamaica, 192 
Duvernette, St. Vincent, 287 
Fincastle, Bahamas, 84 
Fuerza, La, Cuba, 391 
George, Grenada, 254, 256 
George, Trinidad, 229 
Goat Hill, Antigua, 299 
Great George, Antigua, 304 
Henderson, Jamaica, 168 
James, Antigua, 300 



INDEX 



47i 



Forts — continued 
Kendal, Barbados, 117 
King George, Tobago, 242 
Matthew, Grenada, 258 
Maycock's Barbados, 124 
Morro, Havana, 386 

Porto Rico, 406 

Santiago, 397 

Santa Marta, 424 
Old, Bahamas, 83 
Punta, la, Cuba, 387 
Rock, Jamaica, 200 
Saint George, Montserrat, 336 
San Fernando, Cartagena, 420 
San Jose\ Cartagena, 420 
William, Frederick, B. Guiana, 

136, 139 

Windsor, Jamaica, 192 

Young, Dominica, 345 
" Forties," the " Roaring," 33 
Fortune, Morne, 266, 269, 271 
Foster, Mr. , of Cuba, 385 
Foudroyant, 304 
Fountain Garden, Barbados, 99 
Four Paths, 165 
Fowle, Dr. W. , 196 
Fraser, General, 320, 321 
Fraser, John, 178 
Fraser, John Foster, 436 
Fredericksted, 374 
Freeman, Captain, 365 
Freeman, Humphrey, 189 
Freemasonry, 47 

French W. L Company, 249, 265 
Frenchmen's Hill, 370 
Freshwater Bay, 87 
Freshwater Lake, 346 
Friar's Hill, 308 
Friendly Hall Estate, 100 
Frigate Bay, 321 
Frigate Island, 246 
Frijoles, 435 
Froude, J. A. , 283 
Fruits, W.I., 7 
Fuerza, La, 391 
Furnas, 33 

Gage's Soufriere, 335 
Galdy, Lewis, 182 
Galeota Cape, 214 
Galera, la, 214 
Gallows Island, 68 
Gallow's Point, 183 
Ganson, W. , 424 
Garcia, 383 



Gaspar Grande, 220, 236 

Gasparee, 218, 236 

Gatun, 434 

Gatun Dam, 432, 435 

Geary, Sir H. L. , 60 

Geflowski, 175 

Geology, 2 

George I, King, 265,281 

II, King, 287 

III, King, 82, 284, 287 

V, King, 84, 108, 232, 234, 285, 
272, 307 
Georgetown, British Guiana, 136 

Cayman, 207 

St. Vincent, 292 
Gibbs Hill, 68 
Gibraltar Rock, 190 
Gilbert, Mr. and Mrs., 302 
Gillespie Bros, and Co., 327 
Gill, Thomas, 99 
Glasgow Sailings, 18 
Glorieux, the, 350 
Glover Island, 246 
Goat Hill, 300 
Goat Hill Fort, 299 
Goat Island, 243 
Godets, 56 
Goff s Cayo, 154 
Gold, 127 
Golden Grove, 201 
Golden Rock, 378 
Goldsworthy Road, 273, 274 
Golf," Court," 80 
Gomez, 383 

Goodsonn, Vice-Admiral, 190 
Gorda Sound, 352 
Gordon Gordon, W., 226 
Gordon, Hon. Alex., 335 
Gordon, Sir Arthur, 226 
Gordon Town, 184 
Gouyave, 246, 252, 255, 259 
Government Buildings, Grenada, 

255 
Kingston, Jamaica, 172 
Panama, 439 

Spanish Town, Jamaica, 185 
Government House : 
Antigua, 303 
Barbados, 101 
Belize, 153 
British Guiana, 1:38 
Grenada, 257 
Nassau, 83 
St. Kitts, 318 
St. Lucia, 270 



472 



INDEX 



Government House — continued 
St. Vincent, 283 
Tobago, 243 
Trinidad, 226 
Government Offices, St. Vincent, 

283 
Graciosa, 33 

Granada, New, 416, 429 
Grand Ance Bay, 257 
Grand Bahama, 76 
Grand Carenage, 261 
Grand Etang, the, 245, 258 
Grand Pauvre, 259 
Grande Riviere, 220 
Grande Terre, Guadeloupe, 356 
Grange Lane, 165 
Grant, Sir John P. , 169, 177 
Grappler, 365 
Grassy Bay, 56, 63 
Graves, Admiral, 350 
Greater Antilles, 1 
Great George Fort, 304 
" Great Lodge of St. John's," 301 
Great River, 197 
Green Bay, 182 
Greenheart Camp, 143 
Green Hole, the, 255 
Green Island, 246 
Greenvale, 165 
Greenwood, Capt. J., 210 
Gregory Park, 165 
Grenada, 245-261 
Climate, 248 
Clubs, 254 

Communication, Means of, 251 
Constitution, 250 
Financial Position, 247 
General Aspect, 245 
History, 248 
Hotels, 251 
Industries, 246 
Parishes, 246 
Post Office, 255 
Principal Sights, 254 
Sports, 252 
Grenade Hall, 123 
Grenadines, the, 246, 279, 289 
Grenville, 246, 249, 252, 260 
Grenville Biy, 246, 260 
Grenville, Lord, 43 
Grenville, Sir Richard, 33 
Grey, Sir Charles, 272 
Grey, Sir Edward, 444 
Grey- Wilson, Sir W., 79, 81 
Griffiths, T. Risely, 316 




Groo-groo worms, 8 
Gros Islet, 262, 274 
Gros Islet Bay, 266, 274 
Gros Piton, the, 262, 275 
Grouper, 6, 242 
Groupers Grotto, 69 
Guadeloupe, 356-359 

Climate, 357 

Clubs, 358 

Communication, Means of, 358 

Constitution, 357 

Financial Position, 357 

General Aspect, 356 

History, 357 

Hotels, 358 

Industries, 356 

Principal Sights, 358 

Sports, 358 
Guaico, ^219 
Guanajay, 385 
Guanapo, 219 
Guantanamo, 385, 398 
Guava ridge, 184 
Guayaguayare, 220, 235 
Guayaguayare Oil Fields, 235 
Guayama, 403, 404, 405 
Gu6rin Estate, 364 
" Guiana," " Discoverie of," 129 
Guines, 385 
Gui'nes River, 385 
Guira, 396 
Gulf weed, 34 
Gullies, Barbados, 118 
Gully, Dunscombe, 123 
Gully, Fern, 192, 193 
Gully, Porey Spring, 123 
Gun Hill, 118 

Gun-pits, St. Lucia, the, 273 
Gunthorpe's factory, 303, 307 
Gurney, Hon. F., 247 
Gustavia, 359 

Habana, la, 391 
Hackleton's Cliff, 105 
Haddon Smith, G. B., 79 
Haenke, 136 
Haiti, 408-414 

Climate, 410 

Communication, Means of, 412 

Constitution, 412 

Financial Position, 409 

General Aspect, 408 

History, 410 

Hotels, 412 

Industries, 409 



INDEX 



473 



Haiti — continued 

Principal Sights, 413 
Haitien, Cape, 413 
Hakewill, 196, 199 
Hakluyt, 352 
Halfway Tree, 179 
Halkett, Governor, 83 
Hamilton, Alexander, 326 
Hamilton Almshouse, 256 
Hamilton, Bermuda, 63 
Hamilton, General, 315 
Hamilton, Gov. H., 63 
Hampstead, Dominica, 342 
Hangman's Bay, 124 
Harbour Head, 200 
Harbour Island, 74, 84 
Harcourt, Robert, 328 
Hardwar Gap, 184 
Harewood, the Earl of, 99 
Harrington Sound, 69 
Harrison College, 101 
Harris village, 335 
Hartlands, 165 
Harvey, Admiral, 215, 402 
Hastings Rocks, 103 
Havana, 382, 385 
Havana Harbour, 383, 385 
Hawkins, Sir John, 42, 402, 418 
Hay, Sir James S., 91 
Haynes, Mr. Robert T., 105 
Haynes-Smith, Sir William, 79, 319, 

345 
Headquarters House, 175 
Health, 5 

Healthshire Hills, 168 
Heath, Josiah, 104 
Heinrich, 402 

Hemming, Sir A. W. L. , 130, 161 
Henriques, R. , 175 
Heredia, P. de, 419 
Herschel, A. E. , 176 
Hibbert, Thos. , 176 
High North, 246, 261 
Higuey, 414 
Hillaby, Mount, 86 
Hill, Robert T., 380 
Hill, Sir Dudley, 275 
Hillsborough, 261 
Hime, Lt., 70 
Hirst, Dr. G. B., 208 
Hislop, Gov. , 229 
Hispaniola, 410 
Hobson, Lieut., 383, 397 
Hodges, John, 193 
Hodgson, Sir F. M., 91, 130, 142 



Hog Island, 246 

Hog Island, Bahamas, 80, 81, 85 

Holetown, 89, 121 

Holland Bay, 201 

Holly mount House, 162, 193 

Holmes, Rear- Admiral C, 180 

Holmes, Sir Robert, 300 

Home, Ninian, 249, 258 

Homeward Voyage, the, 460 

Hood, Commodore, 277 

Hood, Sir Samuel, 240, 315, 318, 

3 2 °> 349 
Hope Bay, 166 
Hope Gardens, 183 
Hope River, 200 
Hospital Hill, 249, 257 
Houel, 265 

Houston Avenue, 140 
Howard, W. M., 99 
Huevos, 211 
Huggins, H. C. , 330 
Huggins, Hon. P. T., 326, 327, 330 
Hugues, Victor, 249, 258, 266 
Humboldt, 395, 422 
Hurricanes, 4, 5 

IAMBOU, 283 

Icacos, 218 
Iguana, the, 8 

Immigration, East India, 44 
Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

285, 458 
Imperial Road, the, 337, 348 
Imray, Dr. John, 338, 344, 345 
Imray Memorial School, 344 
im Thurn, Sir Ed., 144, 145, 146 
Inagua, 74 

Inchiquin, Earl of, 189, 190 
Indentured Immigration, 44 
Indian Warner, 307 
India Park, la, Cuba, 390 
Industries, 442-457 

Balata, 127, 456 

Banana, 452 

Cocoa, 451 

Cotton, 454 

Gold, 127 

Nutmeg, 247, 261 

Pen-keeping, 158 

Rubber, 456 

Rum, 449 

Salt, 202 

Sponge, 75, 202 

Spice, 247, 261 

Sugar, 442 



474 INDEX 

Ingram, Sir William, 243 
Inquisition, House of the, 421 
Institute of Jamaica, the, 176 
Instituto, Nacional, 440 
" Intendencia," the, 406 
Ipswich, 164, 165, 195 
Ireland Island, 55, 66 
Ireng River, 126 
Isabella, Queen, 156, 382, 406 
Isle de Caille, 246 
Islet Ronde, 246 
Ituribsce Lake, 142 

Jack Adam Island, 246 
Jackson, Bishop, 301 
Jackson, Colonel, 160 
Jackson, Sir H. M., 216, 298 
Jacques, John, 174 
Jamaica, 156-201 

Arms of, 189 

Climate, 159 

Club, 168, 178 

Communication, Means of, 163 

Constitution, 161 

Counties of, 157 

Financial Position, 158 

General Aspect, 156 

History, 159 

Hotels, 161 

Industries, 157 

Principal Sights, 168 

Sports, 167 
Jamaica College, 183 
Jamaica Institute, 176 
Jamaica Tourists Assn., 172 
James I, King, 89, 99, 121 
Jamestown, 89, 121 
Jarabacoa, 414 
Jaruco, 395 
Jarvis, T. L. H., 354 
Jasper Hall, 176 
Jenman, Mr. G. S. , 140 
Jerningham, Sir H. E. H., 216 
Jerningham Junction, 219 
Jervis, Admiral, 266, 272 
Jews' Burial Ground, 330 
John Brewer's Bay, 372 
John's Hall Dam, 197 
Jones, Bishop, 64 
Jones, Mrs. Woodgate, 138 
Jones, Sir Alfred, 169 
Jordan, Edward, 175 
Joseph, Mr. E. L., 215, 230 
Josephine, Empress, 361, 362 
jost van Dyke, 351 



Joyce's Caves, 69 
" Juana," or Cuba, 382 
Judge's, 308 
Judlee, Captain, 265 

Kaieteur Fall, 144-147 

Kangaruma, 146 

Kartabo, 144 

Keane, Sir John, 193 

Keith, Sir Basil, 189 

Kempe, 284 

Kendal, 165 

Kendal Fort, 117 

Kent, Duke of, 266, 271 

Kerr, John E., 197 

Kerr, Mrs. S. N., 196 

" Kick-em-Jenny," 246 

Kill-devil, 450 

King's House, Jamaica, 180 

King's House, Spanish Town, 185 

Kingsley, Charles, 31, 108, 215, 226, 

424 
Kingston Harbour, 157, 168 
Kingston, Jamaica, 157, 165, 166, 

167, 168-179 
Kingstown, St. Vincent, 283 
Kingstown Waterworks, 292 
King Street, 170 
Kirvan, Patrick, 302 
Kitchener, Gen. F. W., 6o, 72 
Kitchin, G. H., 100 
Kitty Plantation, 139 
Knollys, Sir C. C, 298 
Knowles, Admiral Charles, 197 
Koriabo, 144 
Krum Bay, 372 
Kuribrong river, 126 
" Kyk-over-al," 129, 144 

Labat, Pere, 343 
La Baye, see Grenville 
Labba, 8 
Laborie, 268, 275 
Laborie, Baron de, 266, 275 
La Brea, 214, 218, 234 
L'Abys, 346 
Lacombe Piton, 273 
La De'sirade, 359 
Laffan, Sir R.,65 
Laffoon Family, the, 335 
La Fortune Estate, 249 
La Fortunee Estate, 233 
La Fuerza, 391 
La Galera, 214 
La Garza, 58 



INDEX 



475 



" Lagoon," the, 254 

Lagoons, Curacao, 379 

" La Grange," 341 

La Grange, General, 340 

La Guaira, 415, 426 

La Guerite Estate, 319 

Laguna Grande, 425 

Laidlaw, Hon. James, 344 

Laing, Malcolm, 174 

Lake, Captain, 352 

Lake, Captain Jacob, 330 

Lamaha Canal, 136 

Lampsius, Cornelius, 240 

Lancashire Estate, 348 

Langford's, 308 

Langley, Major John, 344 

Language, 49 

L'Anse Citron, 275 

Large Island, 246 

La Romana, 414 

Las Casas, 382 

Laudat, 347 

Laundry, 49 

Laurel Ditch, the, 387 

Lavington, Ralph, Lord, 302, 303 

Law Courts, Victoria, 138 

Lawes, Hon. James, 180 

Lawn-Tennis, see Sports 

Lawrence, Capt. , 67 

Lawrence, James, 197 

Lawrence, W. F,, 196 

Layou, St. Vincent, 283 

Flats, Dominica, 337 

River, 337 
L'Echelle, 356 
Leclerc, General, 411 
Le Compte, 260 

Leeward Islands, 1, 2, 294-351 
Leguan, 142, 143 

Le Hunte, Sir George R., 216, 341 
Leigh, Amy as, 424 
Leigh, Sir Oliph, 89 
Leper Asylum, St. Kitts, 323 
Lesser Antilles, 1 
Les Tantes, 246 
Levera Island, 246, 260 
Lewis, Galdy, 182 
Lewis Gully, 119 
Lewis, Monk, 35 
Leyborne, Governor, 284 
Liamuiga or St. Kitts, 314 
Library, Free, Barbados, 100 

Dominica, 343 

Public, Bahamas, 82 

Public, Bermuda, 64 



Libraries — continued 

Public, B. Guiana, 137 

Public, Grenada, 255 

Public, Trinidad; 224 

St. Kitts, 318 

St. Vincent, 283 
Lightbourn, Mr. John N., 372 
Lignum Vitae, 158 
Liguanea, 169 
Lilly, Col. Christian, 172 
Lily, Victoria Regia, 136 
Lime, the, 371 
Limes, 126, 263, 332, 338 
Linstead, 164 

Lion, Col. Wilkinson's, 118 
Lipscomb, Bishop Christopher, 180 
Liverpool, Sailings from, 16 
Llewelyn, Sir Robert, 250 
Lloyd, Mr. C. A., 148 
Lockhart. Mr. David, 226 
" Log," "Tom Cringle's," 174, 183, 

Logwood, 149, 158 
Loiza, R., 400 
Lombadas, 33 
Lompre", Mr., 276 
London, Sailings from, 17 
Long Bay Castle, no 
Long Bird Island, 70 
Long Cay, 74 
Long (Historian), 186 
Long Island, 74 
Long, see Main Island 
Long Mountain, the, 168 
Long, Samuel, 189 
Longdenville, 219 
Lopez, 387 
Lord's Castle, no 
Loubiere, Bar gate of, 346 
Louis XIV, 361 

XV, 188, 349 

XVI, 275 
L'Ouverture Toussaint, 411 
Lovers' Walk, the, 287 
Lowendahl, 272 

Low Point, 287, 289 
Lowman's Village, 287 
Lubbock, Sir Nevile, 233 
Lucas, Hon. Nathan, 113 

Hon. William, 258 
Lucayans. the, tj 
Lucea, 164, 167, 200 
Lynch, Hon. J. B. A., 99 

Sir Thomas, 189 
Lyon, Sir James, 99, 102 



476 



INDEX 



Lyttelton, Governor William H., 

186 
Lyttelton, Sir Charles, 190 

Mabpuya Island, 246 

Mabouya Valley, 273, 274 

Macartney, Sir George, 257 

Maces, 383 

Maces, Jamaica, 176 

Macfarquhar, Dr. George, 196 

Mackay, Mr. A. R. 

Macqueripe Bay, 226 

Macusis, 42 

' ' Madre de Cacao," 232 

Madrid, Treaty of, 160 

Madraga, 385, 395 

Mafolie, 370 

' ' Magnificent Province," the, 148, 

Mahaica, 132 

Mahan, Captain, 3x5, 427 

Mahaut, 342 

Mahogany Camps, 153 

Maine, the, 383, 389 

Maintenon, Madame de, 361 

Main Island, 55, 58 

Maisi, Cape, 408 

Malaria, 6 

Malecon de las Bovedas, 439 

Malecon, the Havana, 387 

Malecon, the Panama, 439 

Maling, Captain I. C, 282 

Mallali, 143 

Malta, Knights of, 375 

Malvern, 162,194 

Mamatoco, 425 

Manatee, 154 

Manati River, 400 

Manchioneal, 201 

Manchineel trees, 305 

Mandeville, 162, 194 

Mangoes, 7 

Mangrove Bay, 66 

Mangrove Lagoon, 372 

Manjak Mines, 235 

Manning, Edward, 174 

Manning, Sir W., 161 179 

Manoa, 129 

Man-o'-War Bay, 241 

" Manteca" Bay, 195 

Manzanilla, 220 

Manzanillo Bay, 408 

Manzanillo Island, 432 

Maracas Fall, the, 230 

Maran Bay, 250 

Maraval, 228 



Marble Hill, 307 
Margarita, 425 
Marianao, 385, 394 
Marie Galante, 359 
Marigot, Dominica, 342, 350 
Marigot, St. Martin, 375 
Marine Square, 222 
Maritz, Jean, 188 
Market, Barbados, 97 

Dominica, 344 

Stabroek, 131 

St. George's, 256 

St. Vincent, 287 
Markham, Sir Clements, 350 
Marlborough, the Earl of, 89 
Marley Castle, 197 
Maroons, 160, 197, 198 
Maroon Town, 197 
Marquis Island, 246 
Marriaqua, 293 
Marr, Sir H., 83 
Marryat, Captain, 256 
Marshall, Nathan, 350 
Martha Brae River, 157 
Marti, Jose" , 383, 390 
Martinique 360-386 

Climate, 361 

Communication, Means of, 362 

Constitution, 361 

Financial Position, 360 

General Aspect, 360 

History, 361 

Hotels, 362 

Industries, 360 

Principal Sights, 362 
Martinique, Petit, 246 
Mason Hall, 243 
Masonic Hall, Bermuda, 64 
Masonic Temple, Kingston, 178 
Massecuite, 449 
Matanzas, 385, 394 
Matelot, 220 
Mat ope Falls, 144 
Mathew, Governor, 300 
Matthew, Governor, 305 
Maurice, Lieut. J. W., 277 
Mavis Bank, 184 
M-iyabeque River, 385 
Mayaguana, 74 
Mayagiiez, 400, 403 
Mayaro, 220 
" May Dust," 86, 291 
May, Henry, 58 
May Pen, 165, 193 
May, Rev. William, 174 



INDEX 



477 



Maycock's Fort, 12 

Mayreau, 279 

Mazan, Don Jose\ 232 

Mazaruni River, the, 126, 129, 139 

McConnell, Mr. F. V., 148 

Meadows, General, 272, 273 

Meals, 9 

Mechanics' Hall, Bermuda, 65 

Medical Service, 5 

Megass, 449 

Melville, Governor Robert, 255 

Melville, Sir George, 267 

Merchants' Exchange, 171 

Merri field, Ralph, 314 

Merrimac, 383, 397 

Merwar's Hope, 314 

Mesopotamia Valley, 293 

Messervy, C. 271 

Meues, see Nevis 

Metcalfe, Sir C. , 170, 184, 193 

Michael Scott, 176 

Mico College, 179 

Mico College, Old, 169 

Micoud, 276 

Micoud, Baron de, 276 

Middle Ground, 304 

Middle Island, St. Kitts, 323 

Middle Road, Bermuda, 69 

' ' Midge," "Cruise of the," 176 

Miles, General, 402 

Military Road, Porto Rico, 403, 407 

Militiamen, "White, 45 

Milk River, 162, 194 

Millar's, 307 

Milo, 413 

Mineral Springs : 

Guadeloupe, 359 

Jamaica, 194, 200 

Nevis, 327 
Miraflores, 428, 436 
Misery, Mount, 312, 321 
Mission, the, 234 
" Modeste," le, 188 
Modyford, Sir Thomas, 189 
Molascuit, 126 
Mole, St. Nicholas, 408 
Mole, the, Barbados, 87 
Molyneux Estate, 322 
Moloney, Sir C. A., 216, 226, 250 
Monckton, General, 266, 281 
Mona Passage, 399, 400, 408 
Moneague, 163, 192, 193 
Money.. 10 
Money Orders, 41 
Monkey Hill, 321, 434 - 



Monk's Hill, 304 

Monos, 211, 218, 236 

Montague, Duke of, 84, 265, 281 

Montagu Fort, 184 

Montego Bay, 163, 164, 165, 167, 

191, 195 
Monte Lirio, 435 
Montgomery, Earl of, 239 
Montpelier, Jamaica, 163, 164, 165, 

I95> J 97 
Montpelier, Nevis, 329 
Montserrat, 332-338 

Climate, 333 

Communication, Means of, 334 

Constitution, 334 

Financial Position, 333 

General Aspect, 332 

History, 333 

Hotels, 334 

Industries, 332 

Principal Sights, 334 

Sports, 334 
Montserrate, Hermitage of, 394 
Montserrat, Notre Dame de, 232 
Montserrat, Trinidad, 232 
Moore, Governor, 72 
Moore, Lt.-Gov. Henry, 185 
Moore, Sir John, 266, 272 
Moore Town, Bermuda, 70 
Moore Town, Jamaica, 191, 201 
Morant Bay, 167, 200 
Morant Cays, 156, 209 
Morant Point, 201 
Morawhanna, 144 
Morawhanna Passage, 144 
Morgan, Colonel, 314 
Morgan, Sir H., 314, 419, 437, 440 
Moriah, 238 
Morne, Bruce, 345 
" Morne," Meaning of, 269 
Morne, Nicholls, 347 
Morris, Sir Daniel, 256 
Morro Castle, the, Havana, 386 
Morro Castle, San Juan, 406 
Morro Castle, the, Santiago, 397 
Morro, Santa Marta, 424 
Moruga, 214, 220 
Moskito Bay, 372 
Mosquito, Anopheles, 6 
Mosquito, Stegomyia, 6 
Motoring, 12 
Mount Diablo, 193 
Mount Everard, 144 
Mount Hillaby, 87 
Mount Hope, 434 



478 INDEX 

Mount Langton, 63, 65 

Mount Rich, 260 

Mount Sage, 351 

Mud Volcanoes, the, 233 

Mulberry Garden, the, 190 

Muralla de les Bovedas, 422 

Murray Anchorage, 62 

Murray, Hon. C. Gideon, 282 

Murray, John, see Dunmore, Earl of 

Muscovado Sugar Manufacture, 

447 
Museo Boliviano, 426 
Museum, Bermuda, 65 
Museum, B. Guiana, 137 
Museum, United Service, 178, 350 
Musgrave, Mrs., 303 
Mustique, 279 
Mutiny at St. Joseph, 230 
Myranda Hill, 195 



Nancy, the brig, 177 

Naos Island, 427 

Naparima, 233 

Napoleon Bonaparte, 411, 443 

Narrows, the Bermuda, 56, 62 

Narrows, the, St. Kitts, 312 

Nassau, Bahamas, 80 

Nassau, Berbice, 141 

Navy Island, 191 

Needham's Point, 96 

Nelson, Lord, 97, 100, 182, 183, 304 

30S. 329. 33o 
Nelson's Marriage, 329 
Nelson's Quarter Deck, 182 
Nelson's Watering-place, 330 
Neptune's Grotto, 69 
Nevis, 324-331 

Climate, 324 

Communication, Means of, 325 

Constitution, 325 

General Aspect, 324 

History, 325 

Hotels, 325 , 

Industries, 324 

Principal Sights, 326 

Sports, 326 
Nevis, Mount, 331 
New Amsterdam, 141 
Newcastle, 184 
New Culebra, 435 
New Granada, 416, 429 
New Providence, 74, 75, 80 
New York, Sailings from, 21 
Nicaraguan Canal, 429, .430 
Nicholls, Dr. H. A. A, 339, 347 



Nicholson, Sir C, 172, 180 
Nicolay, William F. S., 344 
Nicuessa, D. de, 416, 428 
Nipe Bay, 398 
Nisbet, Mrs. F. H., 329 
Nisky, 371, 372 
Nombre de dios, 416, 418 
Nonsuch Island, 56 
Norman Island, 355 
North Rock, 62 
North Shore Road, 68 
North- West District, the, 144 
Nova Scotia, Bank of, n 
Nova Scotia, Maroons in, 160 
Nueva Andalucia, 415, 428 
Nueva Gerona, 399 
Nugent, Lady, 185 

Obispo Street, Havana, 391 

Ocho Rios, 167, 192 

Odley, Mrs. Elizabeth, 302 

O'Donnell Lighthouse, 386 

Ogston, Maurice, 230 

Oilfields, Guayaguayare, 235 

Oistin's Town, 117 

Old Fort, 83 

Old Harbour, 165, 194 

Old Jerusalem, 352 

Oldmixon, 346 

Old Road, 323 

Oliph Blossome, the, 89, 121, 265 

Olivier, Sir Sydney, 161, 172 

Qmai, 144 

O'Neil, General, 151 

Oracabessa, 192 

Orange Bay, 166 

Orange, Prince of, 315 

Oranges, 7 

Orange Town, 377 

Ordnance Island, 71 

Oregon, the, 430 

O'Reilly, General, 391 

O'Reilly Street, Havana, 391 

Orinoco, the, 128, 220 

Oropouche River, 212 

Ortoire River, 212 

Otaheite, 285 

Otley Hall Estate, 288 

Otrabanda, 379 

Outfit, 28 

Ouvernard, Madame, 343 

Ovanda, N. de, 402 

Oxford Caves, the, 194 

Oxford Point, 66 

Oysters, Tree, 7 



INDEX 



Pacific, Discovery of the, 429 

Pagerie, la, Estate, 362 

Pagerie, M. de la, 361 

Paget's Island, 71 

Pagoua River, 337 

Painton, Captain Thomas, 314 

Pakatuk Falls, 126 

Palacio Federal, 426 

Palacio Municipal, Panama, 439 

Paleologus, Ferdinando, 105 

Palgrave, William Gifford, 337, 347 

Palisadoes, the, 157, 168, 183 

Pall Mall Square, 318 

Palmer, Hon. John, 196, 199 

Palmer, Mrs. Rosa, 196, 199 

Palmiste, Grenada, 250 

Palmyra, 199 

Panama, 427-441 
Canal, the, 427, 430, 434-437 
City of, 437-441 
Co. , the New, 430 
Communication, Means of, 431 
History of, 428 
Hotels, 431 
Old City of, the, 440 
Principal Sights, 432 
Province of, 427 
Railroad, 431 
Republic of, 427 
Panteon National, 426 
Papain, 333 
" Papiamento," 379 
Paraclete Estate, 249 
Parade Garden, 175 
Parade, the, Montego Bay, 197 
Paradise, Birds of, 243 
Parcel Post, 41 
Parham, 307 
Parham Harbour, 294 
" Parham " Masonic Lodge, 301 
Paria, Gulf of, 211, 214 
Parika, 131, 132 

Paris, Treaty of, 266, 340, 382, 383 
Parke, Colonel, 297, 301 
Par la ville, 65 
Parry, Bishop, 270 
Paso Real, 396 
Passports, 30 
Patience, 62 
Paynter's Hill, 70 
Paynter's Vale, 70 
Pearl, the, 371 
Pedro Cays, 156, 209 
Pedro Miguel, 428, 436 
Peere, Van, 129 



479 



Pegasus, the, 305 

Pele\ Eruption of, 363 

Pele\ Mont, 5, 289, 360, 363 

Pelican Island, 96 

Peniston's Pond, 72 

Pen-keeping, 158 

Penn, Admiral, 160, 192 

" Pepper pot," 7, 8 

Perdrix, H.M.S., 305, 306 

Pere Labat, 344 

Perico Island, 427 

Permanent Exhibition Committees, 

„ 458 

Peru, Trinidad, 229 

Peschier Cemetery, the, 225 

Peten, 153 

Peter's Island, 351 

Peter's Mine, 144 

Peterson, Lieutenant, 305 

Potion, 411 

Petit Bordel, 283, 293 

Petit Martinique, 246 

Petit Piton, the, 262, 275 

Petit Tobago, 246 

Petit Trous Beach, 243 

Philippsburg, 376 

Phillipps, Captain Samuel, 174 

Photography, 30 

Physicians, 5 

Piccadilly, 307 

" PicheV' 214 

Pico, 33 

Pico do Lima, 33 

Pico do Salomao, 33 

Picton, 215 

Pieces of Eight, 10 

Pigeon Hill, 237 

Pigeon Island, 263, 274, 349 

Pile, Hon. A. J. , 99 

Pilet District, St. Lucia, 273 

Pilgrim, Dr. Graham, 122 

Pilot Hill, 260 

Pimento, or Allspice, 158 

Pimento dram, 9 

Pinar del Rio, 385, 396 

Pinder, Rev. J. H., 107 

Pineapples, 7 

Pine, R. E., 188 

Pine Ridge, 149 

Pines, Isle of, 382, 399 

Pinzon, 129 

Pitcairn Island, 285 

Pitch Lake, the, 214, 218, 234 

Piton Flor, 274 

Piton Lacombe 273, 



480 



INDEX 



Pitons, the, 198, 262, 275 

Pitons, Trois, 273 

Pitt, Hon. Charles, 307 

Pi y Margall Street, Havana, 391 

" Placer" washing, 127 

Plaisance, 141 

Plantain Garden River, 157 

Plata, de la, R., 400 

Play a, 407 

Plaza, Cristobal, 406 

Plaza de Armas, 391 

Plaza de la Independencia, 438 

Plum Point, 35 

Plymouth, Montserrat, 334 

Plymouth, Tobago, 238 

Po'cock, Sir George, 382, 386 

Pointe a Pierre, 219 

Pointe a Pitre, 356 

Pointe Michel, 342, 348 

Point Galera, 237 

Point Mulatre, 342 

Point Petit, 237 

Point Salines, 260 

Police Barracks, Trinidad, 224 

Polignac, Prince, 292 

Polk, President, 382 

Pollards, 330 

Polo, 95, 102, 167 

Pomeroon, the, 142 

Ponce, 400, 403, 404, 407 

Ponce de Leon, 402, 406 

Ponce de Leon, Castle of, 406 

Ponta Delgada, 33 

Popa, the, 419, 422 

Population, 42 

Porey Spring, 123 

Port Antonio, 163, 166 , 167, 191, 

201 
Port Kingston, R.M.S., 169 
Port Louis, 254 
Port Maria, 167, 192 
Port Morant, 167 
Port of Spain, 212, 222 
Porter, Neale, 334 
Porter's Wood, 121 
Portland Cave, 194 
Portland, Duke of, 191 
Portland Ridge, 194 
Portlock, Capt. Nathaniel, 285 
Porto Bello, 416, 418, 419, 428 
Porto Rico : 399-407 

Climate, 401 

Clubs, 406 

Communication, Means of, 403 

Constitution, 402 



Porto Rico — continuea 

Financial Position, 401 

General Aspect, 399 

History, 401 

Hotels, 403 

Industries, 400 

Principal Sights, 406 

Sports, 406 
Port Royal, 169, 180 
Port Royal Mts., 163 
Ports Island ,56 
Portsmouth, 350 
Porus, 165 
Post Offices : 

Basseterre, St. Kitts, 317 

Bermuda, 64 

Bridgetown, 99 

Castries, 270 

Fort de France, 362 

Georgetown, 137 

Kingston, 172 

Kingstown, 283 

Nassau, 82 

Port of Spain, 223 

Roseau, 344 

St. George's, Bermuda, 70 

St. George's, Grenada, 255 

St. John's, 301 
Postal facilities, 40 
Postal orders, 41 
Post Royal, 260 
Potaro River, the, 144, 146 
Potteries, the, 109 
Povocao, 33 

Powell, Lt. -Gov. J. E.,83 
Poyntz, Captain John, 244 
Poyntz, Major-Gen., 308 
Prado, Cuba, 390 
" Precipice" gun, le, 188 
Prescot, Brig. -Gen., 273 
Presidential Palace, Cuba, 390 
Preston, 398 
Previte\ Mr. H. F., 234 
Prevost, Brigadier-General, 340 
Price, General, 344 
Priestman's River, 201 
Prince Rupert's Bay, 337 
Prince Rupert's tomb, 350 
Princes Buillding, 228 
Princes Town, 219, 233 
Pringle, Hon. Sir John, 176, 193 
Prison, Antigua, 303 
Probyn, Sir Leslie, 91 
Promenade Gardens, X39 
Prospect Hill, 69 



INDEX 



481 



Providence, the, 285 
Providenciales, 202 
Public Buildings, Barbados, 98 

Bermuda, 64 

B. Guiana, 137 

Kingston, 172 

Nassau, 81 

Port of Spain, 
223 
Puentes Grandes, 394 
Puerto Bueno, 192 
Puerto Cabello, 415, 425 
Puerto Colombia, 423 
Puerto Plata, 414 
Pugin, 270 

Punta Gorda, Cuba, 396 
Punta, la, 387 

Quarantine Station, Grenada, 

257 
Queen's House, Nevis, 330 
Queen's Park, Barbados, 100 
Queen's Park, Trinidad, 225 
Queen's Royal College, 225 
Queen's Staircase, 84 
Quelch, Mr. J. J. , 148 
Quisquica, 410 

Rabacca River, 278 
Racecourse, Berbice, 142 
Racker, Mr. E. T., 113 
Ragged Island, 74 
Ragged Point, 34, in 
Railways : 

Barbados Light, 93 

Barranquilla, 418, 423 

British Honduras, 154-5 

Cartagena, 417, 421 

Cuban, 384, 390 

Demerara, 131 

Jamaica Govt. , 164, 172 

La Guaira-Caracas, 418 

Panama, 429 

Porto Rico, 404 

Santo Domingo, 408, 412 

Trinidad Govt., 214, 217, 223 
Ralegh, Sir Walter, 129, 214, 232 
Ramsay, Major- General George 

W. , 302 
Rancho Boyeros, 396 
Rat Island, 299, 301 
Rawle, Bishop, see Rev. Richard 
Rawle, Rev. Richard, 107, 224 
Rawson, Governor W. R., 74, 81 
Rawson Square, 81 



Raymond, Tyson, 190 
Raynal, Abbe\ 391 
Reading Stream, 197 
Red House, the, 223 
Redonda, 311 
Regiments : 

Buffs, the, 260 

15th, 321 

16th, 288 

21st, 204 

38th, 199 

46th, 288 

47th, 84 

54th, 305 

56th, 60 

68th, 198 

69th, 288 

70th, 284 

101st, 198 

Duke of Cornwall's, 341 

Essex, 66 

Royal Artillery, 341 

Royal York Rangers, 103 

Royal Scots, 284, 320 

West India, 230, 341 
Reece, Mr. Robert, 112 
Reeves, Sir Conrad, 99 
Reid, Governor, 64 
Reinagle, Mr. Philip, 222, 224 
Religion, 46 
Requin, 252 
Richmond, 166 
Richmond Estate, 291 
Richmond Hill, 257 
Richmond Village, 291 
Ridge, the, 305 
Rio Bueno, 192 
Rio Claro, 219 
Rio Cobre, 157, 190 
Rio Grande, 157, 201 
Rio Minho, 193 
River Estate, 229 
R.iversdale, 166 
Rivers Island, 56 
Riviere Madame, 362 

Monsieur, 362 

Salee, 356 
Roadtown, 351, 355 
" Roaring Forties,'' the, 33 
Roaring River, 157 
Roaring River Falls, 157, 192, 193 
Robespierre , 266 
Robinson Crusoe, 237 
Robinson Crusoe's Cave, 243 
Rock Fort, 200 

2H 



4S2 



INDEX 



Rockly Bay, 242 

Rockstone, 143, 146 

Roddam, the, 364 

Rodney, Admiral, 266, 274, 285, 

340, 348, 359, 378 
Rodney, Fort, St. Lucia, 274 
Rodney's "look-out," 168 
Rodney Statue, 170, 1S7 
Rod way, J., 143 
Rogers, Capt., 256 
Rogers, Capt. Woodes, 78 
Roosevelt, President, 403 
Roraima, Mount, 147, 148 
Roraima, the, 365 
Rosalie. 343 
Rosalie Bay, 347 
Rosalie View, 347 
Rosario Central, 395 
Rose Hall, 197, 199 
Roseau, Dominica, 343-346 
Roseau Factory, St. Lucia, 274 
Roseau River, St. Lucia, 262 
Roseau Valley, Dominica, 345 
Roseau Valley, St. Lucia, 274 
Roubiliac, 183 
Rousselan, 265 

Routes to the West Indies, 13 
Rowley, Vice-Admiral B., 175 
Roxburgh, 238 
Roxburgh, His Honour T. L. , 

316 
Royal Artillery, the, 341 
Royal Commission of 1897, 458 
Royal Scots Regiment, 320 
Royal York Rangers Monument, 

Barbados, 103 
Ruatan, 281 
Rubber, 456 
Rumbullion, 450 
Rum Cay, 74 
Rum, W.I. exports of, 450 
Runaway Bay, 192 
Rupert, Prince, 300 
Rupununi River, the, 126 
Rutter, Plasterer, in 
Ryswick, Treaty of, 410 

Saavedea, Villalta de, 391, 393^ 

Saba, 377 

Saddle Hill Peak, 330 

Saddle, the, 229 

Sage Mount, 351 

Sail Rock, 373 

St. Alousie, 264 

St. Alouziel, 264 



St. Andrew, Mount, 278, 287 

St. Anne's Castle, Barbados, 103 

St. Ann's Bay, 163, 167, 192 

St. Ann's, Trinidad, 226 

St. Augustine Estate, 232 

St. Bartholomew, 359 

St. Catherine, Mount, 245 

St. Christopher, see St. Kitts 

St. Clair Experiment Station, 226, 

227 
St. Croix, 374, 375 
St. David's Island, 56, 62, 70 
St. Eustatius, 377 
St. George's Cay, 151. 154 
St. George's, Grenada, 246, 254, 

255 
St. George's Island, 55, 59, 62, 70-73 
St. Helena, English harbour, 307 
St. Jago, 159 

St. Jago de la Vega, 160, 185 
St. John, 373, 374 
St. John's, Antigua, 294, 299-303 
St. John's Harbour, 294, 299 
St. Jose" de Orufia, 214, 230 
St. Joseph, 214, 219, 230 
St. Toseph, Dominica, 342 
St. Kitts, 312-324 

Climate, 313 

Clubs, 317 

Communication, Means of, 316 

Constitution, 315 

Financial Position, 313 

General Aspect, 312 

History, 314 

Hotels, 316 

Industries, 312 

Principal Sights, 317 

Sports, 317 
St. Laurent, M., 215 
St. Lucia, 262-277 

Climate, 264 

Club, 269 

Communication, Means of, 267 

Constitution, 266 

Financial Position, 264 

General Aspect, 262 

History, 264 

Hotels, 267 

Industries, 263 

Principal Sights, 269 

Sports, 268 
St. Margaret's Bav. 166 
St. Martin, 359, 375 376 
St. Martin's Road, 174 
St. Michael's, 33 



INDEX 



483 



St. Michael's Town, 90 
St. Nicholas Abbey, 122 
St. Pierre, 362, 363 
St. Thomas, 367-373 

Climate, 368 

Communication, Means of, 369 

Constitution, 369 

Financial Position, 368 

General Aspect, 367 

History, 368 

Hotels, 369 

Industries, 368 

Principal Sights, 370 

Sports, 369 
St. Vincent, 278-293 

Climate, 280 

Clubs, 283 

Communication, Means of, 282 

Constitution, 282 

Financial Position, 279 

General Aspect, 278 

History, 280 

Hotels, 282 

Industries, 279 

Parishes, 278 

Post Office, 283 

Principal Sights, 283 

Sports, 282 
Saintes, Les, 359 
Saints, the Battle of the, 348 
Saline Island, 246 
Salines Point, 260 
Salmadina Bank, 420 
Salt Island, 351, 352, 355 
Salt Kettle, 68 
Salt-raking, 202 
Salt River, 194 
Samana Bay, 414 
Sampson, Mr. J. H., 329 
San Antonio, Porto Rico, 406 
San Cristobal de la Havana, 385 
Sancti Spiritus, 385 
Sanderson, Lord, 45 
Sandwith, Colonel, 282 
Sandy Island, 246 
Sandy Point, 320 
San Fernando, 219, 232 
Sangaree, recipe for, 9 
Sangre Grande, 219 
San Juan, Cuba, 398 
San Juan, Porto Rico, 400, 403, 

404, 406 
San Juan River, Cuba, 395, 396 
San Juan, Santo Dominigo, 414 
San Juan, Trinidad, 219 



4i4 



San Pedro de Macoris, 

San Pedro Trace, 219 

San Salvador, 74 

Sans Souci, 220 

Santa Anna Harbour, 379 

Santa Barbara, 399 

Santa Clara, 385, 397 

Santa Cruz, Jamaica, 164 

Santa Cruz Mountains, 195 

Santa Cruz Valley, 229 

Santa F£, 399 

Santa Gloria, 192 

Santa Marta, 415, 424 

Santa Marta, Sierra Nevada de, 422 

Santiago de Cuba, 385, 397 

Santiago de las Vegas, 396 

Santiago, Santo Domingo, 408,414 

Santo Domingo, 408-414 

Climate, 410 

Communication, Means of, 412 

Constitution, 412 

Financial Position, 409 

General Aspect, 408 

History, 410 

Hotels, 412 

Industries, 409 

Principal Sights, 413 
Santurce, 406 
Sao Jorge, 33 
Sapodilla Gum, 149 
Sargasso Sea, the, 34 
Sasi, 192 

Sauteurs, 246, 252 
Sauteurs, Morne des, 249, 260 
Savanilla, see Puerto Colombia 
Savannah, the, Barbados, 102 
Savannah, the, Trinidad, 225 
Savanna la Mar, 164, 167, 195 
Scarborough, 220, 237, 242 
Scarron, 361 
Schleswig-Holstein, Princess Marie 

Louise of, 225, 228, 286 
Scholtgat, 379 

Schomburgk, Sir Robert, 112 
Scoles, Father Ignatius, 138, 270 
Scotland district, Barbados, 86, 123 
Scott, Michael, 174 
Sea Gardens, 85 
Sea Venture, 58, 62 
Sea Venture Flat, 62 
Sea Wall, British Guiana, 139 
Sealy, George, 105 
Sealy, Sir J. , 99 
Searle, Governor, 300 
Sedefio, Don Antonio, 214 



484 



INDEX 



Seedling Canes, 140 

" Self Help," the, Barbados, 100 

"Self Help," the, B. Guiana, 139 

Selwyn, Colonel William, 189 

Sendall, Sir Walter J., 91, 130, 255 

Sendall Tunnel, the, 255 

Sergeant's Caye, 154 

Serpent's Mouth, 211, 214 

Servants and wages, 10 

Sessions House, Bermuda, 64 

Sete Cidades, 33 

Seven Rivers Cave, 197 

Sewall, Arthur, 234 

Shafter, Gen., 398 

Shannon, Bell of, 67 

" Shark Papers," 176, 177 

Shark's Hole, 70 

Sharpe, Colonel W., 99 

Shea, Sir Ambrose, 79 

Shelly Bay, 69 

Ship's Stern Point, 300 

Shirley, Governor, 320, 321 

Shirley Heights, 304 

Shirley, Sir A., 160 

Siccama, Baron, 138 

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 422 

"Sifneur Montagne," the, 346 

Silk Cotton Tree, Nassau, 82 

Sinai, Mount, 245 

Sion Hall, 119 

Siparia, 219 

Sir Timothy's Hill, 321 

Skeldon, 133 

Skerrets Reformatory, 303 

Slave trade, 42 

Slavery, abolition of, 43, 442 

Smith, Jane Anne, 49 

Smith, Rev. Mr. , 329 

Smith's Island, 56 

" Society " Chapel, 107 

Society Estate, 106 

Sofaia, 359 

Solberg, 370 

Solebay, H.M.S., 174 

Sombrero, 352 

Somerset Island, 56, 63, 66 

Somers Islands, the, see Bermuda 

Somers, Sir George, 58, 62, 70 

Sotavento, Islas de, 2 

Soufriere Bay, St. Lucia, 262 

Soufriere, Dominica, 342, 346 

Soufriere fern, the, 287 

Soufriere, Gage's, Montserrat, 335 

Soufriere, la, Guadeloupe, 359 

Soufriere, St. Lucia, 262, 268, 274 



Soufriere, St. Vincent, 278, 289 

Soufriere, South, Montserrat, 335 

Southern Cross, the, 4 

South Point, Barbados, 118 

South- West Bay, 83 

Spanish Hat, 352 

Spanish Main, the, 415-426 

Spanish Point, Barbuda, 311 

Spanish Town, 163, 165, 169, 185 

Sparrow, H.M.S., 177 

Speightstown, 122 

Spice Estates, Grenada, 261 

"Spice Island of the West," the, 

247 
" Spikestown," see Speightstown 
Sponge Market, Nassau, 83 
Sponges, 75, 202 
" Spooner " Act, the, 430 
Spout, the, 257 
"Springfield," 319 
Spring, John, 419 
Sproston's, 133, 142, 146 
Spur Tree Hill, 194 
Stabroek, 130, 137 
Stags Channel, 63 
Stanchion-room, 448 
Stanmore, Lord, 226 
Stann Creek, 154 
Stapleton, Lieut. William, 183 
Statia, 377 
Steamship services, 13-27 

Booker Line, the, 17 

Booth Steamship Co. Ltd. , 26 

Compagnie G6n6rale Trans- 
atlantique, 18 

Demerara and Berbice Steamship 
Co., the, 17 

Direct Line of Steamers, the, 
17-18 

East Asiatic Co. , the, 18 

Elders and Fyffes, 16 

Frederick Leyland and Co. Ltd., 

17 

Hamburg- American Line, 21 

Harrison Line, the, 17 

Houston Line, 26 

Koninklijke West Indische Mail 
Dienst, 19 

Lamport and Holt, 26 

La Veloce, 20 

Lloyd Brazileiro, 26 

New York and Porto Rico Steam- 
ship Co., 23 

Nourse Line, 27 

Orinoco Steamship Co. , the, 220 



INDEX 



48: 



Steamship Services — continued 
Panama Railroad ss. line, 24 
Peninsular and Occidental Steam- 
ship Co., 26 
Prince Line, 27 
Quebec Steamship Co., 23 
Red "D" Line, the, 24 
Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., 

14, 20 
Trinidad Line of Steamers,the, 21 
United Fruit Co., the, 24 
Ward Line, the, 25 

Stedman Family, the, 344 

Stegomyia mosquito, 6 

Stephens, B. H., 225 

Stephens, J., 225 

Sterling and dollars tables, end of 
book 

Stevens, J. L.,430, 433 

Stewart, Donald, 230 

Stewart, Sir R. , 60 

Stock Farm, St. Vincent, 287 

Stock Farm, Tobago, 243 

Stock Farm, Trinidad, 231 

Stowe, 342 

Strickland, Sir Gerald, 298 

Students' Memorial, Havana, 392 

Sturge Family, the, 332 

Suchet, the, 365 

Suddie, 142 

Sugar bounties, 442 

Sugar Commission, Iternational, 

445 
Sugar Crops, W. I., 447 
Sugar duties, equalisation of, 442 
Sugar Manufacture, 447 
Sugar, W.I. exports of, 447 
Sulphur Springs, Dominica, 346 
Sunstroke, 5 

Sutherland, Mr. George, 309 
Sutton, 166 
Swaby, Bishop, 138 
Swayne, SirE. , 151 
Sweet-Escott, Sir Bickham, 151, 298 
Swettenham, Sir J. A., 161, 169 
Swizzle, recipe for a, 9 
Sylvania Estate, 348 
Syrians in W. I., 46 

Tabaquite, 219 
Tacarigua, 219 
Tapion Rock, 269 
Tarpon, 167, 221 
Tayches, 448 
Teach, John, 371 



Teatro Nacional, Panama, 439 

Telegrams, 39 

Telescope Point, 260 

Temple Lady, 183 

Templer, P. A., 341 

Templete, el, 391 

Tennis, lawn, see Sports 

Terceira, 33 

Tercentenary Monument, Barbados, 

121 
Tetu, 372 
Thatch Island, 352 
Thibou's, 308 
Thirty-sixth Regiment Monument, 

Barbados, 102 
Thompson Home, 284 
Thompson, Sir H. L., 267, 282 
Thornhill, Sir Timothy, 297, [314, 

3*9. 3 21 
Three Houses Estate, n 1 
Three Sisters, the, 214 
Tierra Bomba, 420 
Tierra Firme, 416, 429 
Time, the, 37 
Timehri Rock, 126 
Timothy Hill, 321 
Tina, Monte, 414 
Tinker, Governor John, 83 
Tips, 10 

Titchfield Hotel, 191 
Tobacco Caye, 154 
Tobacco Factories, 394 
Tobago, 237-244 

Climate, 239 

Club, 242 

Communication, Means of, 241 

Constitution, 240 

General Aspect, 237 

History, 239 

Hotels, 241 

Industries, 238 

Principal Sights, 242 

Sports, 242 
Tobago and Trinidad, union of, 240 
Tobago, Baron of, 240 
Tobago, Little, 243 
Toco, 220 
Todd's Road, 219 

" Tom Cringle's Cotton Tree," 185 
"Tom Cringle's Log," 174. 183, 185, 

37i 
" Tongue of the Ocean, the, 75 
Toral, General, 398 
Tortoiseshell, 207 
Tortola, 351, 355 



486 



INDEX 



Tortuga, 410 
Tortuga, Trinidad, 232 
Toussaint L'Ouverture, 411 
Town Hall, Barbados, 100 
Town Hall, Georgetown, 138 
Town Square, St, Kitts, 317 
Trace, the, 273 
Trade winds, 4 
Trafalgar, Battle of, 97, 315 
Trafalgar Square, Barbados, 97 
Training School, St. John's, 303 
Treaties : 
Aix-la-Chapelle, 43, 240, 266, 281, 

339 

Amiens, 130 

Basle, 411 

Breda, 297 

Bulwer-Clayton, 429 

Hay-Pauncefote, 430 

Madrid, 160 

Paris, 150, 266, 340, 382 

Ryswick, 315, 411 

Utrecht, 315 

Versailles, 249, 266, 281, 315, 325, 
34o 
Tree oysters, 7 
Trevi, fountain of, 6 
Trinidad, 211-236 

Climate, 214 

Clubs, 221 

Communication, Means of, 216 

Constitution, 215 
, Financial Position, 213 

General Aspect, 211 

History, 214 

Hotels, 216 

Industries, 212 

Principal Sights, 212 

Sports, 221 
Trinidad and Tobago, union of, 

240 
Trois Islets, 362 
Troja, 166 

Trollope, Anthony, 141 
Trollope, W. H., 11 1 
Trotter, Gen., 345 
Tucker, Governor, 71 
Tukait, 146 

Tumatumari, 126, 143, 146 
Tunapuna, 219 

Turks and Caicos Islands, 201- 
206 

Climate, 203 

Communication, Means of, 206 

Constitution, 205 



TurksandCaicosIslands — continued 

Financial Position, 203 

General Aspect, 201 

History, 204 

Industries, 202 

Principal Sights, 206 
Turnbull, Mr. Gregor, 223 
Turner's Hall Wood, 123 
Turtle " crawls," 207 
Turtle-fishing, 207 
Two Rock Channel, 63 

Underwood Tariff, 400 

Union Island, 279 

Union River, 278 

Union, Trinidad, 219 

United Fruit Company, 191, 398, 

424 
United Service Institution, 178 
United States Weather Bureau, 4 
Urgent, H.M.S., 183 
Uring, Captain, 265 
Usine, d'Arbaussier, 359 
Usine, St. Madeleine, 233 
Utrecht, Treaty of, 315 

Vacuum pan sugar manufacture, 

448 
Valsayn, 232 
Vanderlyn J. , 392 
Van Peere, 129 

Vans Agnew, Brig. -Major, 307 
Varadero, 396 
Vauclain, the, 258 
Vauclin, Le, 360 
Vaughan, Captain, 215 
Vaughan, Colonel, 300 
Velasco, Don L., 387 
Velasquez, Don D., 385 
Venables, General, 160, 180, 192 
Venezuela, 1, 229, 415, 425, 426 
Ventine Sulphur Springs, 275 
Venus Pillar, the, 372 
Vere, 194 

Vernon, Admiral, 398, 419, 420 
Vernon's, 307 
Versailles, Cuba, 395 
Versailles, Treaty of, 249, 266, 281, 

3i5> 3 2 S. 340 
Vert, Mont, 360 
Vespre\ Le, 360 
Vespucci, Amerigo, 128 
Victoria, Grenada, 252, 259 
Victoria Institute, 225 
Victoria Law Courts, 138 



INDEX 



487 



Victoria Market, 171 

Victoria Museum, Roseau, 344 

Victoria Park, Bermuda, 65 

Victoria Park, Jamacia, 170, 175 

Victoria Park, St. Vincent, 286 

Victoria, Queen, 83, 139, 226, 266 

Victoria Regia lily, 136 

Victoria, statue of Queen, 170, 175 

Viequez, 400 

Vielle Ville, 271 

Vieux Fort, 268, 276 

Vigie, la, St, Lucia, 269, 271, 272 

Vigie, St. Vincent, 289 

Villa Estate, 293 

Villa Franca, Azores, 33 

Villalobas, M., 425 

Ville de Paris, the, 188, 3^9 

Villanueva, Count de, 390 

Villeneuve, 229, 315 

Ville ttes, General, 180 

Virgin Gorda, 351, 352, 355 

Virgin Islands, the, 351-355 

Climate, 353 

Communication, Means of, 354 

Constitution, 354 

Financial Position, 353 

General Aspect, 351 

History, 354 

Industries, 352 

Principal Sights, 355 

Sports, 354 
Virgin, the Black, 232 
Vives, Don F. D., 392 
Vlissingen, 139 
Volcanic eruptions, 5 (see also Pete 

and Soufriere) 
Volcanoes, mud, 233 
Voyage, the, 31 
Vuelta, Abajo, 381, 396 
Vuelta Arriba, 396 

Wag Water, 191 
Wages and servants, 10 
Waini River, 144 
Wakenaam, 142 
Wallace Family, the, 307 
Wallibou Estate, 291 
Wallibou River, 281, 291 
Walling' s Reservoir, 296, 303 
Walsingham Caves, 70 
Waraputa Catarat, 126 
Waratuk, 146 
Ward, Col., 175 
Ward Theatre, 175 
Warner, Ashton, 302 



Warner, Edward, 296 
Warner, Colonel Thomas, 307 
Warner, Hon. William, 302 
Warner, Sir Thomas, 89, 296, 302, 

308, 314, 323, 334 
Warner, Sir T, tomb of, 323 
Warrawarou River, 278 
Warren, plasterer, in 
Washington, George, 101 
Washington Hotel, 433 
Washington's residence, 101 
Watches, the, 37 
Water Bay, 372 
Waterfalls, Dominica, 346 
Water Street, 136 
Waterworks, Bowmanston, 105 
Watford Island, 56, 63 
Watling's Island, 74, jj 
Watkins, I.S.O., Hon. F. H., 206, 

334- 364 
Weather Bureau (U.S.), 4 
Weatherill's, 308 
Webb, Rev. W. T., 107 
Weir, the, 322 
Weir's (Antigua), 307 
Welchman's Hall Gully, 119 
Wells, the, 68 
West, Benjamin, 118 
Westerby, Bishop, 301 
West End, 374 
West Farm, 324 
West India Associations, 459 
West India Committee, .the, 107, 

169, 285, 341, 458 
West India Committee Circular, 

459 
West Indian Club, the, 459 
West Indian Produce Association, 

„r 459 

West Indies : 
Banks in, n 
Books on, 49 
British Colonies in, 2 
Climate of, 4 
Expenses in, 10 
Food and beverages in, 6 
Freemasonry in, 47 
Geology, 2 
Health in, 5 
Islands of, 2 
Language, 48 
Laundry in, 49 
Meals, 9 
Money in, 10 
Population, 42 



INDEX 



West Indies — continued 

Position and Names, i 

Religion in, 46 

Roads and Motoring, 12 

Routes to, 13 

Servants and Wages, 10 
Westmacott, Henry, 196 
Westmacott, Sir Richard, 180, 196 
West McKinley, 399 
Westwood Gully, 119 
White's Island, 65 
Wilberforce, William, 43 
Willemstad, 379 
William and John, the, 89 
William IV, King, 305, 329 
William Henry, Prince, 305, 329 
Williams, Sir Ralph, 250 
Williamsfield, 165, 194 
Williamson, Sir Adam, 189 
Williamsville, 219 
Willoughby Bay, 294 
Willoughby, Lord, 265, 280 
Willoughby, Lord Francis, 296 
Willoughby of Parham, Lord, 297 
Wilson, Sir David, 151 
Wilton, J., R.A., 189 
Windward Islands, the, 1, 2, 245- 
293 



Windward Passage, the, 380, 408 
Winn, Isaac Lascelles, 197 
Wismar, 143, 146 
Wodehouse, Sir J. H,, 60 
Wolferstone, 90 
Wolmer, John, 174, 179 
Wolmer's Schools, 174, 179 
Woodbridge, Dudley, 122 
Woodford, Sir Ralph, 222, 223, 

224 
Woodrow Wilson, President, 431 
Woolward, William, 329 
Wylie, Hugh, 177 

Xaymaca, 159 

Y Allah's River, 200 

Yaws, 256 

y Casado, Gen. M. M., 403 

Yearwood, Hon. T., 99 

Yumari Valley, 394 

York Rangers' Monument, 103 

Young, W. Douglas, 206, 267, 341 

Young's Island, 287 

y Sanz, Gov. A., 84 

Zeelanders, 239 







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INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS 

PAGE 

Aitken & Co. xi 

Alexandra College xxii 

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, The v 

Bank of Nova Scotia, The viii 

Bay Mansion, Barbados xviii 

Bee Hive Store, Jamaica, The viii 

" British West Indies," " The " xviii 

Cherry Lodge, Dominica xviii 

Churcher's College xxii 

City Garage and Stable Co., Barbados, The xvii 

Colonial Bank, The vi 

Curry & Co., R. H. xxi 

Direct West India Cable Co. Ltd., The xxiv 

Elders & Fyffes Ltd. iii 

Fawsley School xxii 

Fletcher & Co. Ltd., George xiii 

Halifax & Bermudas Cable Co. Ltd., The xxiv 

Heywood Ltd., John viii 

Holmedale School xxii 

Jenkinson, Brinsley & Jenkinson xx 

Knight & Co., Barbados xix 

Mandeville Hotel, Jamaica, The xviii 

Marine Hotel, Barbados, The xvii 

McKinnon & Co. Ltd., Wm. xii 

Nassau Guardian, The xviii 

Queen's Park Hotel, Trinidad, The xvii 

Rodger, Norman xxi 

Royal Bank of Canada, The vii 

Royal Dutch West India Mail, The ii 

Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., The i 

Sawyer & Co., R. H. xix 

Smith & Co. Ltd., A. & W. xiv 

Smith Bros. & Co. Ltd. ix 

Southport College xxii 

Stephens Limited x 

Street & Co. Ltd., G. xxi 
Trinidad & Tobago, Permanent Exhibition Committee of iv 

Watson, Laidlaw & Co. Ltd. xv 

West India Committee, The xxiii 

West Indian Produce Association Ltd., The xvi 

" West Indian Tales of Old " xxi 

Yanatas Ltd. xx 



R.M.S.P. 

FORTNIGHTLY from 
Southampton and Cherbourg 

ftfc. to 

West Indies 




Panama Canal 

& New York 

Via Barbados, Trinidad, Puerto Colombia, Cartagena, 
Colon, Jamaica, & New York (for Bermuda). 



CANADA— WEST INDIES 

Fortnightly Mail and Passenger Service from 
ST. JOHN (N.B.) and HALIFAX (N.S.) 

(Under Contract with the Govt, of the Dominion of Canada) 

to Bermuda, St. Kitts, Antigua, Montserrat, Dominica, 

St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad, 

& Demerara 



Frequent Regular Sailings 

From Southampton and Cherbourg to SOUTH AMERICA, 

via Spain, Portugal, & Atlantic Islands. 
From London to MOROCCO, CANARY ISLANDS, & 

MADEIRA, via Gibraltar. 
Also to STRAITS, CHINA, and JAPAN (by Shire Line). 



For further particulars, apply 

The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company 

LONDON: 18 MOORGATE STREET, E.C. 
and 32 COCKSPUR STREET, S.W. 

i y 



ROYAL DUTCH 
WEST INDIA MAIL 

(Koninklijke West-Indische Maildienst) 

AMSTERDAM 




LINE A. — Fortnightly Service for passengers and freight from 
AMSTERDAM to SURINAM, DEMERARA, TRINIDAD, 
various ports of VENEZUELA, CURACAO, various ports 
of HAYTI, NEW YORK, and same route back to 
AMSTERDAM via LE HAVRE. 

Stiperior passage accommodation. 

LINE IB.— Three-weekly Service from AMSTERDAM and ROTTER- 
DAM to BARBADOS, LA GUAIRA, CURACAO, PUERTO 
COLOMBIA, CARTAGENA and COLON, and back from 
COLON to CARTAGENA, PUERTO COLOMBIA, CURA- 
CAO. PUERTO CABELLO, LA GUAIRA, TRINIDAD, 
HAVRE and AMSTERDAM. 
Cargo steamers till IQ15, later on passenger steamers. 

LINE C* — Fortnightly Service for passengers and freight from NEW 
YORK to BARBADOS, TRINIDAD, DEMERARA, SURI- 
NAM, and back via TRINIDAD, to NEW YORK. 

Superior passage accommodation. 



Apply for fares and rates to 

HEAD OFFICE AT 



AMSTERDAM 



And to 

ROYAL DUTCH WEST INDIA MAIL, 

17 STATE STREET, NEW YORK. 



Elders & Fyffes| 

LIMITED 

Regular Weekly Services of Mail 
and Passenger Steamers from 

Bristol, Liverpool, Hamburg and 
Rotterdam 

TO 

The WEST INDIES 
PANAMA 

COSTA RICA 

and COLOMBIA 

Through bookings to Guatemala, 
Honduras, Pacific Coast Ports, etc. 

All steamers have excellent accommodation for saloon 
passengers, and the six new Twin-screw Vessels, 
"Bayano," "ChagreS," " Changuinola," " Motagua," 
" Patia," and " Patuca," are also fitted with wireless 
telegraphy, electric fans in all rooms, single berth 
cabins, private bathrooms, staterooms en suite, etc. 
Each of these steamers also carries a surgeon and 
stewardess. 

For Fares and other particulars apply to : 

Elders & Fyffes Ltd. 

31 & 32 Bow St., London, W.C. 
43 Victoria Street, Liverpool 
Garston Docks, Liverpool 
Avonmouth Dock, Bristol 

Or United Fruit Company 

Kingston, Jamaica [Rica 

San Jose & Port Limon, Costa 
Santa Marta, Colombia 
Colon, Panama 

■— i i i mm imwhmwiwmmimmm 



Colonial Bank 

INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER 1836 

SUBSCRIBED CAPITAL - £2,000,000 
Paid-up, £600,000 Reserve Funds, £150,000 



HEAD OFFICE: 

16 BISHOPSGATE, LONDON, E.C. 

J. K. MORRISON Manager 

CHARLES H. HEWETT - Assistant Manager and Secretary 
W. G. PURDIE - - - General Superintendent 

Resident in Trinidad 

BRANCHES : 

ANTIGUA !_, JAMAICA (KINGSTON) 

BARBADOS Sub-branch (PORT ANTONIO) 

BERBICE Agencies at FALMOUTH 
DEMERARA MONTEGO BAY 

DOMINICA SAVANNA LA MAR 

GRENADA (ST. GEORGE'S) PORT MARIA 

Agency at GRENVILLE ST. THOMAS 

ST. KITTS ST. VINCENT 

ST. LUCIA TRINIDAD (PORT OF SPAIN) 

Sub-branch (SAN FERNANDO) 

New York Agency - 82 Wall Street 

AGENTS : 

CANADA - - THE BANK OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA 
PARIS .... Messrs. MALLET FRERES et CIE 

HAMBURG - - - Messrs. SCHROEDER GEBRUDER & CO. 
COPENHAGEN ...... THE PRIVATE BANK 

The Bank keeps Current Accounts. Receives Money on 
Fixed Deposit. Sells Drafts and Telegraphic Transfers on 
London, New York, Paris, the Principal Cities in Canada 
and other Points. Purchases Approved Bills and does a 
, . , General Banking Business. _. ... 



vi 



THE ROYAL BANK 
OF CANADA 

Incorporated 1869 

Capital Authorised - - - - $25,000,000 

Capital Paid up ----- $11,560,000 

Reserve and Undivided Profits $13,500,000 

Total Assets $180,000,000 



Head Office - MONTREAL 

H. S. HOLT, President 
E. L. PEASE, Vice-President and General Manager 



333 Branches in CANADA, 
2 Branches in Newfoundland, 

6 Branches in British West Indies, 
1 Branch in British Honduras, 
2 Branches in British Guiana, 
23 Branches in Cuba, 

3 Branches in Porto Rico, 

2 Branches in Dominican Republic. 



London Office : 

Princes Street, E.C. 

W. M. Botsford, Manager 



New York : 

Cor. William & Cedar Sts. 

S. H. Voorhees, Agent 



Collections in Canada, Newfoundland or West Indies 
handled promptly at Lowest Rates 



VH 



BANKS 

THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA 

Incorporated 1832 

Capital Authorised $10,000,000 Reserve $10,863 610 

Capital Paid up $5,981,150 Total Resources July 31/13 $78,689,048 

Head Office: HALIFAX, N.S. 

JOHN Y. PAYZANT, Presi lent. II. A. RICHARDSON, General Ma' ager. 

Branches throughout Canada. Newfoundland, and principal cities 
of the United States. 

WEST INDIAN BRANCHES 

Jamaica— Kingston, Mandeville, Savanna-la- Mar, Black River, Mont ego Bay, St. Ann's 
Bay, Port Maria,' Port Antonio. Cuba— Havana, Cienfuegos. Porto Rico— San Juan 

A general Banking business done. Particnlzr attention given to Collection and 
Letter of Credit business 

Favourably reviewed by o<vzr WO influential Newspapers 

"HOW TO SELECT 
A LIFE OFFICE" 

By G. M. DENT, F.S.S. 

Extracts from a few Press Opinions 

MORNING POST.— "Mr. G. M. Dent, who is a FeMo-w of the Royal 

Statistical Society, has written a valuable pamphlet on Life Assurance, in 

which all the more important questions connected with the subject are 

discussed by a firm of merchants and an insurance broker. . . . Th;re are 

two carefully prepared tables." 

STATIST. — " To those who may contemplate insurance, the expenditure 

of Is on this pamphlet will be a judicious outlay." 

FINANCIAL TIMES.— '[The elaborate tables are distinctly valuable. 

Carefully and skilfully compiled." 

LAW JOURNAL.— " A cleverly written dialogue. Both tables are 

explained with great lucidity." 

PALL MALL GAZETTE.—" Armed with this pamphlet, and blessed with 

a little common sense, the ordinary man cannot go very far wrong." 

PRICE Is BY POST Is Id 

JOHN HEYWOOD Ltd. 

DEANSGATE, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. 

BEE HIVE STORES 

KINGSTON, JAMAICA 

Has a great reputation and is known as one of Jamaica's 
most beautiful stores. Visitors will find, a magnificent 
assortment of high-class Drapery and Dry Goods at up- 
to-date prices. Men's, women's, and children's tropical 
wear in great variety. Modern extensive work rooms on the 
premises. Special orders executed at a few hours' notice. 
Ladies' Retiring Tea Rooms. Soda Fountain, etc. 

A Store well worth a visit. 



CONSULAT DE BELGIQUE 



Smith Bros. & Go. 



"THE BONANZA 



>1 



Importers of all classes Exporters of Cocoa, 

of Merchandise Coffee and Hides 

AGENTS: 

Lancashire Fire and Life Insurance Co. 
Royal Marine Insurance Co. 

NINE BIG STORES IN ONE 

Main Entrance, FREDERICK STREET 
Other Entrances on MARINE SQUARE 
a a and CHACON STREET a 

NOVELTIES, CURIOS AND SOUVENIRS 

specially interesting to tourists 



MADEIRA HAND 
EMBROIDERED WORK 

IN LADIES' LINGERIE 
LADIES' COSTUMES 
ART NEEDLEWORK. 



LOCAL HAND 
EMBROIDERED WORK 

HAND DRAWN 

HANDKERCHIEFS 

COLLARS, BODICES, etc. 



IRISH HAND 
EMBROIDERED WORK 



GENUINE 

PANAMA HATS 

From $5 to $35 each. 


TROPICAL CLOTHING 

AMERICAN READY-MADES 

or SUITS MADE TO MEASURE 

ON 12 HOURS' NOTICE. 

a 
JAPANESE WORK 

TABLE CLOTHS, TABLE 

CENTRES, AND 

CREPE TEA CLOTHS. 

a 
REAL BENARES WARE 

Useful and Ornamental. 



Smith Bros. & Co. 

"THE BONANZA' 

FREDERICK ST., MARINE SQUARE & CHACON ST., 

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD. 



STEPHENS LIMITED 

" The Stores," TRINIDAD. 



Commercial^ Financial, Mining, and 

INSURANCE AGENTS 

PRODUCE EXPORTERS 



. * * - . 

i)ii§»- 



•ill 



"":,,/ ; 








ft 




W::^f '' --WM 



THE'DEPARTMENT STORES OF TRINIDAD 

THE BEST PLAGE TO BUY EVERYTHING. 

London Agents : 

Messrs. LADE ~ & CO. 

"Falcon Chambers," 

Castle Street, E.C. 



AITKEN & CO. 

Sugar Machinery Specialists 

147 Bath St., GLASGOW 



NOTEIQUANTITY OFZCANES 




NOTE QUALITY OF BAGASSE 



4 Diamond" Patent Rollers 

Grind each year 
Over 8,000,000 Tons of Canes 

Modern Cane Sugar Machinery 



Xi 




74? KINNON 

Established In the 18th Century 



/"WR Plantation Machinery 

for Treating Coffee* . , 

Cacao, Sugar, Rice and 

Rubber — as well as $ 

OUR ENGINES. BOILERS. 

Water Wheels. Pel ton Wheels*, 

etc., 

Still Remain 




U 



NSURPASSE 



For Efficiency, Durability and 
Workmanship. 

Makers for the trade for over 50 years. 

Don't 

be misled. 

Apply direct to the original and actual 
Manufacturers and you will get satisfaction. 




Works : 

Spring Garden, 
Aberdeen, Scotland 



CABLES: 
" Ampang, Aberdeen." 

Codes: ABC 5th Ed. Lieber's 



WM, McKINNON & Co. Ltd., Aberdeen, Scotland 

xii 



2 
















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CENTRIFUGALS 

FOR 

SUGAR FACTORIES 




1365 



DRIVEN BY 

BELTING ELECTRICITY OR WATER 



WATSON, LAIDLAW & GO. LP 

98 DUNDAS STREET (SOUTH) 

GLASGOW 



xv 



On Your Return 

FROM THE WEST INDIES YOU CAN OBTAIN 
All kinds of West Indian Produce 

FROM 

The WEST INDIAN 
PRODUCE ASSN. Ltd. 

AND DAVISON, NEWMAN & CO. 

(Late Sir THOS. RAWLINSON, Established 1650) 
The Oldest Firm in the World 

The original direct importers of West Indian Produce 



WIRA CANE SUGARS 



(RAW AND REFINED) 

JAMAICA CIGARS, 
RUM, HONEY, SAUCES 

Preserves, Guava Jelly, Pickles, Dried 

Turtle, West Indian Liqueurs, Caribee, 

Pimento Dram, etc. etc. 

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL 



The WEST INDIAN 
PRODUCE ASSN. Ltd. 



14 Creechurch Lane, 
London, E.C. 



TIRADE 



Telephone - 11168 & 1823 Central 
Telegrams - - "Wipa, London" 

UNDER ROYAL PATRONAGE 
xvi 




MARK 



HOTELS AND GARAGES, ETC. 



Queen's Park Hotel 

The Finest Hotel Situation Unsurpassed 

In the West Indies Magnificent Scenery 



COMMODIOUS RESTAURANT FITTED WITH ALL MODERN IMPROVEMENTS 

Electric Light, Plunge, Needle, and Shower 

Baths, Bar, Billiards, and BARBER'S SALOON 

The Ho'.el has its own Cellars, where an extensive Stock and great variety 

of the CHOICEST WINES and LIQUEURS are kept 

CARRIAGES and MOTOR CARS for Hire and in attendance on the 

arrival of every Steamer. Baggage attended to by an Employee of the 

HOTEL at the CUSTOM HOUSE 



Guests Entertained on the European or American Plan, as they 
may prefer. 

EUROPEAN PLAN: $2.00 per day and Upwards 

AMERICAN PLAN: $3-00 per day and Upwards 

Special Rates for Monthly Boarders 

Rooms may be secured by Cable, Letter, or Telephone. All 
Communica'ions to be addressed to the Manager, Queen's Park 
Hotel, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, B.W.I. 

Cable Address: Hotel, Trinidad P.O.B. 127 Telephone: 320 

MARINE HOTEL 

BARBADOS, British West Indies 

Largest and Finest Resort Hotel in the Tropics 

Facing the ocean. Near Fashionable Promenade and Band. 
Arranged on the American Plan. Terms Moderate (daily or weekly 
rates). Fine Sea Bathing. Beautiful Drives. Various Sports. 
Fine Steamship Services from the Port. Equable Climate. 

Pomeroy Hotel Co., Barbados (B.W.I.) 
LONDON : 18 Moorgate Street NEW YORK: 56 Hudson Street 

BARBADOS 

INTENDING VISITORS to this Island are invited to write us their 
requirements in advance. 

Arrangements can be made to meet passengers arriving by any 
steamer, day or night, at the Customs House wharf, and convey 
them to any hotel in the Island. 

SAVE TROUBLE AND INCONVENIENCE 
Mail us your orders, which will have our very best attention. 

THE CITY GARAGE & STABLE CO. 

per JAS, F. INNISS, Manager. 

Prices on application. Cable Address : " Garstall, Barbados." 



The Mandeville Hotel 

MANDEVILLE, JAMAICA 

2061 feet above sea level. 60 miles from Kingston. 
Climate unsurpassed. Free from Dust & Mosquitoes. 

Tennis. Golf. Riding & Motoring. 
Beautiful Scenery. Modern Sanitary arrangements. 

Running Water. Excellent Cuisine. 

CHERRY LODGE BOARDING HOUSE. 

New Street, Roseau, Dominica, B.W.I, [Estd. i8q2 

CENTRAL. Neir livery stables. Airy bedrooms and balcony. Spacious 
snower bath. Noted for diligent service. Cleanliness throughout and 
exceptionally good cookery. Terms, 8/4- per day, inclusive. Reduction for 
long periods. Miss ALICE JOLLY, Proprietret-s. 



BAY MANSION 

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS 

Private Boarding House Terms 6s per day 
(inclusive). Special Terms for Families, or a 
longer stay, on application. Bath, Gas 

Telephone : 469 Mrs. F. D. SKINNER 

THE BRITISH WEST INDIES 

THEIR HISTORY, RESOURCES AND PROGRESS 
By ALGERNON E. ASPINALL 

London : SIR ISAAC PITMAN & SONS LTD 

NEWSPAPERS 

!3f)ef{assau guardian 

J££tablished 1844, 

NASSAU, BAHAMAS. 
Printers, Publishers, Booksellers. 



Guide Books to the Bahamas. Views and Postcards and 
all information supplied to tourists and intending settlers. 



The Tourists through the 

• -. 11 ^ West Indies have been 

Kodak Agency £3r£ y «J a Sr£ 

tn 1 1 the difficulty of obtain- 

13 81 I D 81 Q. O S ing, during the voyage, 

a supply of Kodak 
Films and other material for picture taking. The Eastman 
Kodak Co. have now remedied this by placing their repre- 
sentative agency in the hands of Messrs. Knight & Co., 
the well-known Chemists at BARBADOS, and this being the 
first port ot call from Europe, visitors are enabled not only 
to replenish their stock of Films and other material, but can 
also have the developing and printing of their Kodak 
pictures done promptly and with care and skill at a 
moderate charge. Lantern slides made. 

Here you can also get a fine lot of Picture Post Cards, 
said to be the most complete collection of views in the Island. 
Also Souvenirs of Barbados in Shells and Enamelled Silver 
Jewellery. 

KNIGHT g CO., Chemists, BARBADOS 

{Sole Agents for Eastman Kodak Co.) 



R.H. SAWYER gC° 

NASSAU, N.P. 
BAHAMAS. 

Commission and Steamship Agents. 

REPRESENTATIVES OF 

New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company. 
Peninsular & Occidental Steamship Company. 
Hamburg American Line* 
White Star Line. 

REAL ESTATE BOUGHT AND SOLD 



A descriptive Booklet of Nassau giving list of houses 
for rent, hotels, boarding houses, post free on 
application. 



ESTABLISHED OVER 100 YEARS 

jenkinson » 



fBrinsley dr Jenkinson 

Quartered Surveyors and Jluetioneers 



Land Agents for English, Colonial and 
West Indian Estates* Valuers for Probate 
and Estate Duty, Mortgage, Partition, etc. 
Expert Estate Management, Insurances of 
all kinds effected with the Besr Offices. 
Lists of properties for sale or to let 
on application, Please state requirements. 

Offices t 

15 Jievo 33ridge Street, Jbudgate Qireus, 

Teieerams *" Bridging, London." 7e\nnrlnri P @ 

Telephone : City 4538. J&OTiaOn, C.V^. 

CROSSING THE OCEAN 

MAL=DE=MER 

A Royal Testimonial 



*$|jp " Neues Palais. 

G?@ "H.I.M.theTzarinaof Russia, H.I. H. the 
^^ Grand Duchess Serge of Russia, and H. R. H. 
Princess Henry of Prussia, have found * YANATAS' 
a perfect remedy for Sea sickness. " 



YANATAS 



The recognised remedy 
formal-de-mer through- 
out the world. Obtain- 
able at all chemists, or 
direct post paid 3/- from Mr. STARKIE, Chemist, Grand 
Hotel Buildings, London, W.C. Sole Proprietors: 

YANATAS Ltd., 3 Arundel Street, London 

N.B. — The late Mr. Laboucnere in Truth stated: "The 
only remedy is my trusty ' YANATAS '." 

IT ABSOLUTELY PREVENTS SEA SICKNESS 



CANE SUGAR 

MANUFACTURERS 

and everyone interested 
in the 

Production 
of Sugar 

should not fail to apply 
to 

NORMAN RODGER 

Technical Publisher, 

St. Dunstan's Hill, 

LONDON, E.C. 

for Lists of his Books on 

Sugar Production 

in all its branches. 



WEST INDIAN 
TALES OF OLD 



BY 



ALGERNON E. ASPINALL 

44 Illustrations 



Price 
Post free 



net 5- 
= 5/4 



London : Duckworth S Co. 

Copies of the above are 
obtainable at The West 
India Committee Rooms, 
15 SEETHING LANE, 
LONDON, E.C. 



G. Street & Co. Ltd. 

Advertising Agents 30 CO RN H 1 LL, E.C. 
8 SERLE STREET, W.C. LONDON 

The firm has been established over 70 years 
and has among its clients some of the most sub- 
stantial houses in the British Isles 

R.H. CURRY & CO. 

NASSAU, BAHAMAS. 

Agencies : 

LLOYD'S. 

NATIONAL BOARD OF MARINE UNDERWRITERS. 

COMMERCIAL AGENT FOR CANADA. 

REAL ESTATE. 



EDUCATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 



CHURCHER'S COLLEGE, PETERSFIELD, 

Hants, England. 

Chairman of the Governing Body : The Right Hon/The EARL of SELBORNE 

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN 

OF COLONIAL AND BRITISH PARENTS 

Terms on Application to Rev. W. HENRY BOND, M.A., Headmaster. 

ALEXANDRA COLLEGE 

Shirley, Southampton, England. Estd. 1863 

Principals: MISS BARNES and MISS MAYOSS 

Assisted by Certificated and Fully Qualified staff. Large house and garden. Separate 
class rooms. Thorough modern education. Preparation for Local University Exam- 
inations. Good play-grounds and game-fields attached. Hockey, tennis, croquet, etc. 
Fees (inclusive of music)— Boarders from 10 guineas per term. Prospectus and Annual 
Report on application. COLONIAL CHILDREN receive special care and attention. 

FAWTS^EY, 61 Earl's Avenue, Folkestone, Eng. 

-"PHIS HIGH-C LASS SCHOOL for girls provides a modem educati. n on broad lines, 
•*- combined with individual care and training. The house stands in an open and sunny 
position in the best part of Folkestone, overlooking the Sea and Downs ; the rooms are 
airy and comfortable, and there is a large garden and Tennis Court. Entire charge is 
taken of children whose parents are abroad, and they can enter at any time if there are 
vacancies. Arrangements can also be made for short courses of study, elementary or 
advanced, for children of visitors to Folkestone. The School is a Cadet Detachment of 
the British Red Cross Society, and full instruction is given in First Aid, Home Nursing, 
Flasf Signalling, Cooking, etc. Principal : MISS MOTJNTFIELD. 

Holmedale, The Avenue, Upper Norwood, London, S.E., Eng. 

FINISHING HOME SCHOOL FOR DAUGHTERS OF GENTLEMEN 

Principal: MISS HLNKEL. Staff of qualified resident English and Foreign Governesses 
and Visiting Professors. Aim— To prepare young ladies to take their place in Society 
under conditions less irksome than ordinary school discipline. Specialities— Languages, 
Music, Art, Weekly Lectures on European History and Literature, Hygiene, Domestic 
Economy, Sports. Terms lrom £135 per year. 

Entire charge of pupils whose parents are abroad. 

SOUTHPORT PHYSICAL 
TRAINING COLLEGE 

ENGLAND 

President —Lord CHARLES BERESFORD, K.C.B., M.P. 
Principals — A. Alexander, F.R.G.S. , and Mrs. Alexander 

The Staff consists of Medical Lecturers and experienced 
Teachers in every branch of Physical Training, ncluding a 
Swedish Mistress from the Royal Gymnastic Institute, Stock- 
holm. Educated women are trained as Scientific Teachers of 
Physical Education. The Course includes :— British and 
Swedish Educational and Medical Gymnastics, Massage, Danc- 
ing, Swimming, Outdoor Games, etc. Diplomas and Gold 
Medals awarded to successful students. 

HEALTH STUDENTS.— Ladies who do not desire to 
adopt Physical Training as a profession are received as Health 
Students. Special courses of Beneficial Exercises are arranged 
for them, and any of the subjects included in the College Course 
are optional. Finishing Lessons can also be arranged for in 
Educational Subjects. The College is beautifully situated on 
the Coast, twenty miles from Liverpool. References permitted to 
Lord Kinnaird,Rt. Hon. Viscount Gladstone.the Hon. & Rev.E. 
Lyttelton, D.D. Further particulars from the SECRETARY. 



The West India 
Committee 

(Established 1J50. Incorporated by Royal Charter.) 

President 
SIR NEVILE LUBBOCK, K.C.M.G. 
_ TT „ Vice-President 

THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF HAREWOOD, K.C.V.O. 

Chairman 

WILLIAM MIDDLETON CAMPBELL 

Defiutv-Chairivan 

ROBERT RUTHERFORD 

R. RUTHERFORD CYRIL* GURNEY E. A. DE 

Executive Committee 
THE CHAIRMAN HOARE, OLIVER V. G. 



E. A. DE PASS 



THE DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN 
THE TREASURERS 
ALSTON'. G. R. 
ALTY, W. H. 

CAMPBELL, C. ALGERNON 
CARRINGTOX, GEORGE 
DAVSON, E. R. 
DAVSON, IVAN B. 
EWING. HUMPHRY CRUM 
FAVVCETT, W., ii.Sc. 
GILLESPIE, \V. 
HALES, CHARLES 



LUBBOCK, ARTHUR N. 
MAIXOLM--ON, NORMAN 
MARSHALL, E. L. 
McCONNELL, A. F. 
MlTCHEl.L-THOMSON, W., M.P. 
MOODY-STUART. G. 
PARKER, C. SANDHACH 
PHILIPPS, SIR OWEN, K.C.M.G. 

previte', H. F. 

SHEPHEARD, W. P. B. 
TINNE, J. E. 
TROTTER, H. A. 






The West India Committee is an Incorporated Association of planters, 
merchants and others interested in the British West Indies, British 
Guiana, and British Honduras, whose object is, by united action, to 
promoie .he interests of the Industries and trade, and thus increase the 
general welfare of those c >l.>nies. 

There is no entrance fee ; the minimum subscription is £1 is per annum ; 
and The West India Committee Circular is posted to 
m-mbers ; fortnightly free of charge. The qualifying subscription 
for the Executive is £5 5 s per annum. 

Tn f, West India Committee Circular contains a Review of the 
Work of the West India Committee ; Notes on West Indian 
Affairs; Statistics as to Cacao. Sugar, Rum, Molasses, Cattle 
Foods, Molascuit," Coffee, Cotton, Oil, Rubber, Nutmegs, Mace, 
Fimento, Ginger, Arrowroot, Lime Juice, etc.; Births, Marriages, 
and Deaths ; Home Arrivals and Departures by the Mail 
Steamers, etc. 
ectures on matters of interest in connection with the West Indies are 
delivered periodically, 
e West India Committee Rooms are conveniently situated upon the 
first floor of 15 Seething Lane, London, E.C., next to Mark Lane 
Station (Metropolitan and District Ekctric Railways), and form a useful 
rendezvous. 

Bankers 
THE UNION OF LONDON AND SMITHS BANK LTD. 

Secretary 
ALGERNON E. ASPINAL.L, B.A., Barrister-at-Law 

Offices 

THE WEST INDIA COMMITTEE ROOMS, 

15 SEETHING LANE, LUNDON, E.C. 




** Stmti»»*< 



WEST INDIAN 
TELEGRAMS 



Telegrams to all Offices. 
"QUIESCENT." 



25 MINUTES FROM LONDON TO JAMAICA. 

Telegrams should always be addressed in the following 
manner. " Via Bermuda" is not charged for. 



Jones, London, 
via Bermuda. 



" Smith, Jamaica, 
via Bermuda. 



Robinson, Barbados, 
via Bermuda" 



Plain language, Deferred Messages at Half Rates. 

Before going away Tourists may call at the above 
Companies' Offices and register their names and ad- 
dresses so that special arrangements for telegraphing 
in code, and having the message decoded and delivered 
to their friends in plain language, may be made. 

Social and Business Codes are available at all the 
Companies' Stations free of charge. 

Wireless Station at Bowden, Jamaica. 

EXAMPLE OF A CODE MESSACE PROM JAMAICA, ETC. 

" Quiescent, London, 
Via Bermuda. 

Ecboladis opacent Smith." 

(5 words at 3^=15^) 

MESSACE AS DECODED. 

"Direct West India Cable 

Company, Ltd. 
33 Old Broad Street, London, E.C. 

Send letters until further in- 
structions to Poste Restante. 
Intend to sail by next vessel of 
Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., 
18 Moorgate Street, London, E.C. 
Smith." 

(38 words at 3-y=£5 14^) 
*^§ 




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